Fire Services Levy increase to 84% outrage

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes has described the Brumby Government’s increase in the Fire Services Levy (FSL) for country Victorians to 84% as outrageous.

Speaking in Parliament today Dr Sykes moved a motion condemning yet another increase.

Dr Sykes called on the Parliament to condemn the Premier for:

• increasing the cost of insurance for bushfire victims;
• increasing the cost of insurance for farmers and country businesses battling the effects of 13 tough years; and
• exacerbating the inequitable situation whereby only those who insure their property contribute to the cost of fire services.

The FSL for country businesses is currently 68% which is already a steep increase on much lower rates in previous years.

The FSL on country homes will jump from 26% to 31% whilst the FSL on metropolitan homes will decrease to 20%.

Dr Sykes said that what is particularly galling about this massive tax hike on country people is that the same people who pay the FSL then turn out free of charge to fight fires as CFA volunteers. This service has been conservatively valued at over $500 million per year and much, much more in years with the big fires such as 2003, 2006/2007 and 2009.

Whilst Premier Brumby repeatedly denies that the FSL is a tax the Federal Government views it differently.

Peter Ryan, Leader of the Nationals and Shadow Minister for Bushfire Response has been successful in getting the FSL investigated as part of the Federal Government’s Standing Review on Australia’s Future Tax System.

A petition opposing the FSL is in circulation and available from http://home.vicnet.net.au/~sykes/.

Dr Sykes said, “I encourage people to access petitions either from my office or website and sign and return them to 2/55 Carrier Street, Benalla for tabling in Parliament.”

Dr Sykes concluded, “I and my Liberal National colleagues are committed to a fairer system of funding fire services and we will not give up until we have achieved it.”