VOLUNTEERS will have to opt-in to claim exemption from the State Government’s new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund tax.
The fund will replace the fire services levy from July 1 and exemption will be on the volunteer’s primary place of residents.
The Government has been criticised for delays on detail for the new tax amid revelations that only a third of almost $15 million  collected from Loddon Shire ratepayers in the last decade  has been returned to support local fire brigades.
The new tax will be almost double the old levy with the State Government saying funding is aimed at helping those emergency services most impacted by the increasing rates of natural disasters “like VICSES and CFA”.
“An exemption from the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund will be provided for active and life member volunteers with the Country Fire Authority and Victoria State Emergency Service on their primary place of residence, such as a house or farm,” the government said this week.
“This is in addition to other significant tax benefits provided to primary production land - including a full exemption from land tax.
“Additionally, farmers with multiple properties that operate as a single enterprise may already be eligible for a single farm enterprise exemption, which means they may pay the fixed charge on only one property within the enterprise, instead of one for every property.”
Farmers fear they face a doubling or tripling of the tax under the new fund that the State Government will make local councils collect as part of rates.
And Loddon Mayor Dan Straub last week told the Loddon Herald the low return on levies collected over the past decade from local property owners pointed to country Victoria being used as a “milking cow” by the Government.
A Government spokesperson said: “Our emergency services put their lives on the line without a second thought. This package is about making sure they have what they need to keep all of us safe including more funding, more trucks and the latest technology.”
“Every single dollar raised by the new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund will go back into our emergency services.”
“The volunteer exemption sees brigades and members recognised for the work they do in their community,” the spokesperson said.
The Government did not respond to questions on when local councils would receive details about the new fund.
Loddon Shire said it was waiting on information about the exemption process and the Government is yet to tell volunteers how the scheme will work. CFA members are also waiting for advice.