by Keith Anderson

A strong campaign to have the state government scrap its proposed Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund has been launched especially by regional areas.

The Victorian Farmers Federation, state opposition, volunteer fire brigades and local councils are spearheading protests about the plan that would replace the current Fire Services Levy from July 1.
Legislation to introduce the new fund stalled in state parliament early this month and will not be considered again until at least May 13, the next sitting date of parliament.
The VFF, that describes the proposed charges as an "unfair and unnecessary tax", is urging community members to protest to their local members of parliament to demand they scrap the charge.
The proposed ESVF broadens the fire levy, collected by councils for the state government through annual municipal rate notices, to include funding of the State Emergency Service as well as Fire Rescue Victoria and the Country Fire Authority.
While opponents claim households and commercial properties will have to pay almost double their current fire levies the strongest hits will be to farm owners.
And some farmers that are active in their local volunteer CFA brigades have told The Gazette they are angry they would have to pay thousands of dollars for them to fight local fires.
Former Baw Baw Shire councillor Darren Wallace, who is on the board of Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria, said the government's proposed new fund was "a bad deal" for the public and "farmers were copping it in the neck".
Willow Grove farmers and CFA volunteers with their local brigade, Andrew Balfour and Ian Bayley, were both highly critical.
Mr Balfour said the charge, based on the capital improved values of properties that are reassessed each year by the Valuer General's department, would would rise on his property from about $3000 to $4000 under the current levy to about $12,000 to $15,000.
He was also concerned about the flow on affect on local economies and farmers' abilities to employ workers.
Mr Bayley said that while he had not calculated the impact he was "p....d off" and the extra charges were "a tax grab from a government that is broke".
Mr Wallace, Mr Balfour and Mr Bayley also said government actions had already led to a dwindling number of volunteers for country fire brigades, especially since they came under the control of Fire Services Victoria, and were aware more were now considering leaving.
Mr Wallace said CFA brigades had been neglected including a failure by the government to upgrade fire stations and replace trucks that were up to 35 years old.
There are 700 trucks across Victoria that are single cab vehicles requiring firemen to travel on the back of the trucks, he said, highlighting the health and safety risks they presented.
Suggestions at government levels that CFA members would be exempt or get a rebate from the new greatly increased levy has also been received with scepticism, Mr Bayley saying he's unsure how that would work.
Would it be for only the active firefighters or would it also apply for general non-active members of a local brigade or, as Mr Bayley asked, would it be based on the number of fire call outs a firefighter attended.
VFF president Brett Hosking said it was a moment for the Victorian community to stand up and say enough is enough and for the government not to burn regional Victoria with more taxes..
Rather than introducing a new layer of tax the VFF said the current Fire Services Levy system should be fixed.
CPI caps should be introduced to protect households from inflated land values and that regional communities aren't charged for the volunteer services they provide, Mr Hocking stated.
Volunteer Fire Brigades' Mr Wallace said it had received a lot of opposition from rural councils and he was pleased with the support against the new levy by the Municipal Association of Victoria.
At a Baw Baw Shire council meeting earlier this month mayor Danny Goss said residents had every right to be furious about the proposed new tax that would collect almost $14 million from ratepayers, $5.37 million more than they paid this year.
He said because the charge came with rate notices council would get the blame while the money would not remain local and serve only to "benefit our city cousins".
Speaking in parliament Nationals member for Eastern Victoria Melina Bath said it would increase prices at checkouts during a cost-of-living crisis as the levy would directly impact on farmers' profitability and viability.
She claimed only 12 per cent of an estimated $2.1 billion that would be collected over the next three years would go to CFA and SES volunteers.