Georgia Tacey
About 30 Sunbury residents staged a protest against the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund (ESVF) outside Sunbury MP Josh Bull’s office on Tuesday, May 20.
The protest, organised by resident Paul Gration, saw angered residents fill the space outside Mr Bull’s office on Macedon Street and spill into the service lane
The new levy, which passed Parliament on Friday, May 16, will replace the former Fire Services Services Property Levy from July 1.
Mr Gration said he wanted to organise something for those who couldn’t make it to Parliament in Melbourne to show their support.
“I realised not everyone could get there, so I thought in my own small way, if I did this in front of Josh Bull’s office it was an option for people who couldn’t get to Spring Street,” he said.
As a resident, Mr Gration is concerned the new levy will increase his rates, as well as the effects it will have on farmers.
“The primary producers of this state, the farmers, a lot of those are CFA or SES volunteers, and they are the ones that are going to suffer the most,” he said.
“The fact that the state government is saying that there is an exemption available… but to qualify for that is so hard, and this is why those volunteers are up in arms.”
Former Hume councillor Trevor Dance helped get the word out of the protest, and was happy to back his local community on an important issue.
“I came down here to support the community, like everyone else should be doing,” he said.
Mr Bull wasn’t in attendance at the protest due to the state budget, but said in a statement the new levy will make sure all our emergency services have the tools and resources they need to keep Victorians safe.
“Every single dollar raised by the new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund will support our emergency services – helping them to keep communities safe year-round,” he said.
