Media Releases

Member for Rodney Paul Weller has encouraged residents to have their say about the proposed new Fire Services Levy during a second stage of public consultation.

The Victorian Coalition Government is implementing the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission recommendation that the State replace the Fire Services Levy with a property-based levy and introduce concessions for low-income earners.

Mr Weller encouraged all interested community members to read the consultation paper and attend a forum to contribute their thoughts on the final design and implementation of the new levy.

“More than 100 written submissions have already been received and the government is now holding community forums to give members of the community a chance to discuss the consultation paper options and provide their feedback directly,” he said.

“The new levy will ensure all Victorian property owners pay a fair contribution for fire services, and that fire services continue to operate with sufficient resources.”

Community forums will be held in Shepparton on 31 October at 6pm at the Quality Hotel Parklake, 481 Wyndham Street, and in Bendigo on 16 November at 6pm at the RL Campbell Theatrette, Bendigo Library, 259 Hargreaves Street.

The period for written submissions closed on 30 September 2011.

Mr Weller said the Coalition Government intended to introduce the new legislation in early 2012.

He said there would be a transition period that would commence on 1 July 2012 to allow insurers to phase out the existing insurance-based levy prior to full implementation from 1 July 2013.

Further information about the Fire Services Levy is available online at www.dtf.vic.gov.au.

The Nationals Member for Rodney Paul Weller has encouraged residents to make a submission on the new fire services funding model for Victoria.

A community consultation paper for the design and implementation of a fairer, more equitable system to fund fire services was released last week.

Mr Weller said the consultation was the first step in introducing a significant and long-overdue reform to ensure Victoria’s fire services were appropriately funded.

He said the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission recommended that ‘the State replace the Fire Services Levy with a property-based levy and introduce concessions for low-income earners’.

“The Coalition Government has adopted all Bushfires Royal Commission recommendations and will introduce a new levy that ensures all Victorian property owners pay a fair contribution to the state’s fire services, while ensuring Victoria’s fire services continue to operate with sufficient resources.

“I encourage people to read the consultation paper and make a submission to inform the final design and implementation for the new FSL.”

Mr Weller said the Fire Services Levy (FSL) should have been scrapped by the former Labor Government years ago.

“Until just prior to the election, Labor refused to listen to the concerns of Victorians call =ing for the FSL to be abandoned.

“All Victorians understand the need to have well-funded fire fighting services and the release of this consultation paper is an important step in implementing this new approach.”

Mr Weller said the consultation paper outlines out the Coalition Government’s proposal to replace the current funding model with a new property-based fire services levy.

“The Government intends to introduce legislation in early 2012,” he said.

“There will be a transition period that will commence on July 1, 2012 to allow insurers to phase out the FSL prior to full implantation from July 1, 2013.”

The consultation paper is available at www.dtf.vic.gov.au and submissions close on September 30.

The Brumby Government has finally listened to common-sense on the issue of introducing a fairer system of funding Victoria’s fire services, Nationals Member for Rodney, Paul Weller, said this week.

 

Mr Weller welcomed the indication by the government that it would agree to a recommendation from the Bushfire Royal Commission to drop the contentious fire insurance levy on insurance policies on properties and replace it with a charge on all property.

 

“There is no doubt that this is a much fairer system, and it is precisely what the Coalition has been pushing for a long period of time.

 

“Premier Brumby and his government, more through obstinancy than anything else, have been opposed to the change, but have been embarrassed into acting because of the commission’s findings,” he said.

 

Mr Weller said the new system, which would incorporate a concession for low-income earners, would be far more equitable in terms of spreading the cost.

 

“The policy echoes what we have been saying and what the insurance industry, farming and other business groups have been calling for. It has just taken a very long time for the government to get the message.

 

“The Premier has continually rejected the call for change over recent years, and in fact even described the proposal as a disgraceful policy.

 

“Now suddenly, he wants to embrace it.

 

“While we welcome the back-flip, it is just another example of the disarray that the government is currently in, and highlights its inability to come up with sensible policy.

 

“As has been the case on a most issues, the Coalition continues to put up sensible, well thought-out and community based policies, and the government eventually follows along,” Mr Weller said.

 

He said that it had been estimated that 30 per cent of the properties destroyed in the disastrous 2009 bushfires had not been insured.

“This has meant that fire services do not recover costs from these non-insured properties, despite having the power to do so.

 

“It was a patently ridiculous situation, which the bushfire commissioners have quickly recognised and acted on. It has finally prompted the government to recognise the foolishness and futility of its opposition to our proposal, and to at last take some action,” Mr Weller said.

 

The Nationals Member for Rodney Paul Weller said today that the Brumby Government must stop procrastinating and accept the recommendation of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission to change the Fire Services Levy (FSL).

 

“For many years the Nationals have lobbied for a more equitable FSL,” Mr Weller said.

 

“Given that the Royal Commission has now recommended it should be a property-based charge, as well as a report commissioned by the Insurance Council of Australia concluding the same, why is the Brumby Government still resisting a change to the levy?”

 

Mr Weller said many organisations including the VFF, independent retirees and local government have called for change and it is time this tired and out of touch State Government took action rather than making excuses.

 

“They have said they were waiting on this Royal Commission report before making a decision on the levy so there is no now no excuse for the Brumby Government to not act to restructure the levy now.”

 

“The Government has all the information it needs to change the Fire Services Levy so that it relates to property ownership rather than to property insurance, Mr Weller said.

 

“Rural Victorians deserve better and it is unfair that the cost of fire services is left to the 75 per cent of Victorians who insure their property.

 

“The Government admits there are issues that need to be addressed in relation to the Fire Services Levy; the Royal Commission and the Henry Review all recommended there needs to be change to the flawed system and it needs to be done now,” Mr Weller said.

The Nationals Member for Rodney Paul Weller has questioned the Brumby Government’s true intentions in reviewing the Victorian Fire Services Levy.

In State Parliament today Mr Weller said he was concerned the review was driven more by the government’s desire to hose down growing community dissent on the issue as opposed to any real intent to achieve meaningful change.

“It appears to me that the government’s review is the review you have when you’re not actually having a review,” he said.

“I am a strong supporter of the concept of a review, but not where it is simply being used as a way to justify the existing system.”

Mr Weller said the timelines associated with the review suggested the government was putting the issue on the backburner to buy it some time and to avoid public scrutiny.

“The timeline permits the government to delay any decision on the fire services levy until after the November 2010 election,” he said.

“Submissions on the green paper won’t even be accepted until June next year.”

Mr Weller said the current FSL on general insurance policies was grossly inequitable and it was important that the review process be carried out in an independent and transparent manner.

“The two thirds of people who insure, pay levies of up to 84 per cent, whilst the one third of people who don’t insure make no direct contribution to the state’s fire services,” he said.

“Further, country property and business owners pay an additional 10% stamp duty and 10% GST.

“The Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition in government will implement a fairer system that provides adequate funding for state fire services.”