As most of you know by now I have been arguing against the way the MFB and CFA are funded. They are funded by people that pay insurance, but the service is available to everyone.
It just ain't fair!
Below is an extract from the Weekly Times.
I urge you to read it by clicking on the title above and then write to your local MP.
FARMERS fear the Fire Services Levy could rise by as much as 80 per cent in order to fund $50 million in new bushfire initiatives.
The Victorian Farmers Federation has called on the State Government to ensure farmers are not picking up the bill for the new projects.
VFF president Andrew Broad said while improvements to bushfire preparation were always welcomed, they should not be funded through increases in the levy.
The levy is a compulsory tax on property insurance used to fund the CFA.
The VFF says regional property holders are compelled to pay 68 per cent, while Melbourne households pay only 21 per cent.
2 comments:
Jo,
Thanks for asking. I believe that the fire services should be funded the same way other community services are funded, the same way the police is funded, the same way the ambulance service is funded, that is, via state or federal taxes.
Only NSW and Tasmania fund the fire services through insurance premiums. Other states share the burden more equally.
Regards
There seems to be an argument that has not been raised on this issue.
The majority of our bushfires are on crown land where DSE firefighters are paid to fight the fires. The CFA, on the other hand, is there to protect private property.
Thus, I submit that if costings were made on the location of recent fires, we might find that the government should be bearing the cost of the bulk of the funds needed by the levy
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