Overview

• The Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) replaces the Fire Services Levy to provide $2.1 billion in broader emergency services funding but has drawn widespread criticism.
• Over 3,000 protesters, including CFA volunteers and farmers, gathered in Melbourne with more than 100 fire trucks to demand the levy be repealed, citing financial strain on rural communities.
• Primary producers face steep increases under the levy, with average bills of $2,521 and some exceeding $40,000, compounded by ongoing drought and cost-of-living pressures.
• Victoria's 79 local councils, through the Municipal Association of Victoria, formally opposed the levy, advocating for state-level collection and equitable distribution of funds.
• Premier Jacinta Allan defended the levy as essential for addressing rising emergency service demands, while opposition leader Brad Battin pledged to repeal it if elected in 2026.