Hundreds of regional Victorian firefighters have turned out for a rally in Bendigo to voice concerns over a number of issues including increased financial pressures.
An ABC reporter at the rally said a song featuring the controversial slogan “ditch the witch” directed at Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, which has been widely condemned as sexist, has been played over loudspeakers at the event.
The protesters want the controversial Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF), introduced last year, and charged to all property owners, scrapped.
The levy aims to raise revenue for fire services, the SES, the Triple Zero (000) call centre and the State Control Centre, but has been met with sustained frustration from farmers since its announcement, as they face potential increases of tens of thousands of dollars.
CFA volunteer from Corack, David Brennan, was among the 500 people who attended the rally.
He said he was frustrated with the state government’s tax on volunteers.
David Brennan and David George were among the CFA volunteers protesting about the Victorian government’s emergency services and volunteer levy in Bendigo. (ABC News: Tyrone Dalton)
“We go and put our life on the line to go and fight for our neighbours … and now [Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan] goes and taxes us,” he said.
He said he believed the Victorian government was not handling its finances well and regional Victorians were bearing the brunt.
“Our government couldn’t run a small business. They’re in financial trouble and when they’re in financial trouble, they make stupid decisions. They’ve made a stupid decision on this tax, which we’re fighting back on.
“They have not realised how the country works. We stick up for each other.“
He said his brigade’s six remaining members were using a 28-year-old truck, and money gathered by the government was not flowing back and being spent on services.
David George was a volunteer for more than 50 years, and he had travelled from Lake Goldsmith to attend the rally.
He said he was protesting about the levy, as it would see the bill for his farm skyrocket from a “manageable” $8,000 to $35,000.
More than 500 people have rallied against the controversial emergency services and volunteers fund in Bendigo. (ABC News: Tryone Dalton)
“No-one can afford that. I know blokes [whose bills] are going to [between] $90,00 to $100,000,” he said.
“What for? We put the fires out.”
Mr George said volunteers would continue to oppose the levy.
“I hope people realise this is not the end of it. We’re going to be bigger than ever before,” he said.
“Everyone has had a gutful.“
Chris Cooke from the Pyalong CFA brigade said the tax will affect farmers.
“It’s also an ethical thing, too; charging people fighting the fires an inordinate amount in tax compared to people in cities who are paying a lot less. It’s not equal in terms of how it’s going to be levied,” he said.
Chris Cooke says volunteers are key to fighting fires. (ABC News: Tyrone Dalton)
“I think [the state government] has forgotten this is a volunteer organisation. If they keep going the way they’re going, they’re going to lose a lot of this volunteer force, which is very important to Victoria.”
State opposition vows to ‘scrap the tax’
This comes as a new report reveals Victorians are the highest-taxed for emergency services in the country.
Parliamentary Budget Office figures obtained by the state opposition show each Victorian now pays an average of $221 in an emergency services levy per year, compared to the national average of $177 per person.
Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Danny O’Brien said the higher emergency services tax brought in last year has not resulted in better resources or improved response times for fire services.
“We’ve made it very clear that we scrap the tax and go back to the old fire services property levy,” he said.
“It was a fair tax that ensured that our CFA and FRV are well resourced.
“We’d also ensure that our other agencies like the SES continue to be well resourced but we don’t need to do that by taxing Victorians.”
A Victorian government spokesperson said in a statement that “every dollar” from the fund was invested back into emergency services.
“Our CFA and Victorian State Emergency Services volunteers give up their time to protect and support Victorians. That’s why we’re making sure eligible volunteers will get a rebate in recognition of their service,” the spokesperson said.
“The Nationals and Liberals have already announced they will cut funding to our emergency services which will put the community at risk.”
In 2026/2027, the levy is expected to bring in an additional $46 million in funding to the CFA, an additional $29 million to the VIC SES, and an additional $68 million to Fire Rescue Victoria.
‘Left to fend for ourselves’
Firefighting has become an increasingly volatile issue across regional Victoria, with deepening political implications.
One rally organiser, Marong CFA captain Michael Shay, who battled the Harcourt blaze alongside his brigade earlier this year, said he recently received a letter from the Victorian government thanking him for his service, but telling him his station was not a priority.
In the letter, seen by the ABC, Emergency Services Minister Vicki Ward said volunteers showed “professionalism, resilience and commitment” during the fires, but the station was in good condition and therefore “not currently prioritised for upgrade”.
Mr Shay said the station had asked for a shed extension, additional firefighting vehicles and a pumper truck in order to keep up with what he described as a rapidly growing community.
“Because of the lack of funding, everyone’s scrounging for vehicles and extensions and everything, so we’re all battling for the same little pool of money,” he said.
“We’re left to fend for ourselves.”
Angry farmers and CFA volunteers took to the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne when the levy was proposed last May. (ABC Rural: Justine Longmore)
The letter notes the brigade has previously secured three grants through the program, including funding for a new medium tanker in the most recent round.
The ABC understands the brigade received about $445,000 in funding last year.
Under the current funding program, the Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP), brigades fundraise a portion of the cost themselves, with the state government contributing $2 for every dollar raised.
Kyneton CFA captain Greg McIntyre, who also battled the Harcourt blaze, said a number of brigades were already under financial constraint.
He said his volunteers will have to go back to relying on sausage sizzles to raise funds after having their long-standing fire equipment maintenance contract with Macedon Ranges Shire Council cancelled last week.
“The brigade’s quite disappointed … it’s our single most substantial income apart from the CFA’s operational budget, most of which we don’t see,”
Mr McIntyre said.
The cancellation will also directly impact three other brigades which relied on the funding including Romsey, Woodend and Gisborne.
The council said it had reviewed its approach to “consolidate costs and improve efficiency”, awarding the contract to a private Bendigo company.
Mr McIntyre says the VESEP model was “nice”, but not sustainable for long-term funding.
“It should be the icing on the cake, rather than the cake.”
On Friday, Ms Allan said the frustration from protesters was fuelled by misinformation from the opposition.
“We have seen that the Liberal and National parties have deliberately misled communities about the additional funding,” Ms Allan said.
“More and more is being asked of our emergency services which is why we are investing … the $100 million truck replacement program.
“That is funded as a result of the levy. That would be cut under a Liberal National government,” she said.
Many firefighters attending the rally battled devastating bushfires across central Victoria over the summer. (Supplied: Alistair Walker)
Empty stations, ‘false’ promises
On another front of the battle, firefighters in Bendigo say their concerns over an unused fire station in Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan’s electorate of Bendigo East have fallen on deaf ears.
United Firefighters Union delegate Simon Thomas said the temporary station, which was intended to house the crew while their current outdated site was redeveloped, has sat empty for five years due to being caught up in “red tape”.
“It’s just a constant stream of delays and false promises by both FRV and the government,” he said.
A spokesperson for FRV said it was “reviewing timelines” and doing “everything possible” to fast-track development plans at its current site.
In a statement, Ms Allan said upgrades on a temporary site on Murphy Street in Bendigo were underway, while planning for a new permanent station at Hargreaves Street continued.
Ms Allan said this would allow crews to relocate while the new station was delivered.
The works on the temporary site were expected to be completed by October, while the tender for the permanent station would be released soon and works were expected to begin before the end of the year.
