A petition with nearly 44,000 signatures has been tabled in parliament against a controversial emergency services tax expected to slug regional ratepayers nearly $60m.
The state government’s controversial emergency services tax is expected to cost regional Victorians at least $60m, with the three most populous regions to be slugged more than $32m.
The $3bn Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund, meant to help pay for emergency services responding to natural disasters, came into effect in July.
It replaced the Fire Services Property Levy and is being collected by local councils despite being a state charge.
But the tax has been criticised as “unjust” and an unnecessary burden, particularly on rural residents, during a cost-of-living crisis.
Farmers and firefighters protested at parliament earlier this year, and a petition to scrap the fund containing nearly 44,000 signatures was tabled in parliament on Tuesday by Western Victoria Liberal MP Joe McCracken.
