Farmers Fight FSL

Royal Commission counsel calls for abolition of Fire Service Levy

Victorian farmers have welcomed another voice to the chorus of those calling for an end to the Fire Service Levy.

The Fire Service Levy is a compulsory tax on property insurance which is used to fund fire brigades. While Melbourne households pay a 18 percent Fire Service Levy on their insurance premiums, regional business property holders, including farmers, are compelled to pay a massive 72 percent. Property owners who do not insure avoid contributing to funding the fire services that protect their lives and property.

Today Jack Rush QC, council assisting the Bushfire Royal Commission, provided a submission calling for the abolishment of the Fire Services Levy. Mr Rush said, ‘There is no plausible rationale for the retention of the current model on fairness grounds’.

Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) President Andrew Broad welcomed the comments and said farmers were now looking to the government to take the appropriate steps.

“It is clear that the Fire Service Levy has to be scrapped. The State Government must fast track the review currently underway and commit to abolishing this method of funding before the next fire season,” Mr Broad said.

“There is no reason for this review to be drawn out into 2011. On behalf of Victorian farmers I am asking John Brumby to show leadership and commit to a new funding system before the 2010/11 bushfire season.

“It is time for the government to accept that the mounting case against the Fire Service Levy is irrefutable and will not go away.

“The government must move to an alternative property based model rather than wasting more time collecting evidence when the results on the current system are clearly already in,” Mr Broad concluded.

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Comment: It's Time to make the FSL fairer  for all.  It's TIME!