The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) is encouraging local community members to contact their local Members of Parliament to demand they vote to scrap the Victorian Government’s proposed new emergency services tax.
VFF president Brett Hosking said the unfair proposed tax hike has sparked unity among farmers, firefighters, regional councils, and Victoria’s business community who are all campaigning against the tax and calling for it to be dumped.
“This tax is unfair, unnecessary, and completely out of step with what Victorians expect from their government,” Mr Hosking said.
“It’s time for the community to raise their voice and let politicians know they won’t stand for yet another hit to the household and business bottom line.”
With the legislation yet to pass the Upper House and set to be revisited in the coming weeks, the VFF is calling on concerned Victorians to contact their local members and crossbench representatives to voice their opposition and demand a vote against the bill.
“This tax has no support, not from the fire services, not from local councils, and not from the people who’ll be forced to pay it,” Mr Hosking said.
“The Upper House has the chance to stop it in its tracks, but they need to hear loud and clear from the people they represent.”
Rather than introducing a new layer of tax, the VFF is urging the Victorian Government to focus on fixing the current Fire Services Property Levy system by introducing CPI caps, protecting households from levy shock due to inflated land values, and ensuring regional communities aren’t overcharged for the services they provide as volunteers.
“This is a moment for the Victorian community to stand up and say ‘enough is enough’. Don’t burn regional Victoria with more taxes,” Mr Hosking said.
“We encourage everyone to contact their MPs this week and make their voice heard.”
Local MP, Tim Bull, said the tax was also heavily opposed by both East Gippsland and Wellington Shire Councils as it will see an additional $2.1 billion ripped out of Victorians’ pockets over the next three years, with councils forced to act as the State’s tax collector via rate notices.
“In an attempt to scuttle this next sitting week, we have launched the “Scrap The Tax” campaign, which notes:
– Farmers face a massive 189 per cent rise in payments.
– Household contributions almost double.
– It creates an additional cost that will be passed on to renters.
– Commercial rates will increase by 100 per cent on average.
– Industrial rates will soar by 64 per cent.
“Labor claims this is to fund services like the SES and Triple Zero, and while they’re critically important services we support, they have always been funded out of consolidated revenue,” Mr Bull said. “
This is just another grab to prop up the bottom line that will soon see us with a debt of $187 billion and interest
repayments of $1 billion every six weeks.
“In addition to simply hitting us again financially with a new tax rather than continue to fund these important agencies out of general revenue, there are no guarantees the money will go to frontline services ahead of more backroom staff in the city.”
Mr Bull urged all who wishedto stop the implementation of this tax to visit scrapthetax.com.au.
