A local politician has strongly opposed a proposed "tax" expected to add thousands of dollars to the rate bills of local farmers.
Member for Narracan Wayne Farnham said he'd spoken to farmers who expected proposed changes to the fire services levy to add anywhere from $6000 to $18,000 to their rates from July.
"You could see regional Victorians, particularly farmers, would bear the burden of the tax," Mr Farnham said. "The state government has put local councils in the firing line on this one."
Property owners pay an annual levy via council rates to support emergency services. The state government announced in December that the Fire Services Property Levy would be replaced with a new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund.
Mr Farnham said he was happy to hear the Fire Services Levy Bill had stalled in the Upper House last week.
His sentiments were echoed by the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) president Brett Hosking who said farmers would breath a temporary sigh of relief despite legitimate concerns lingering over the proposed "blatant cash grab."
Mr Hosking said the state government had tried to introduce the deeply flawed Bill without a single conversation with farmers or rural Victorians. He instead called for a parliamentary inquiry.
"The government tried to push through a flawed tax without consultation and they have clearly failed to secure the numbers," Mr Hosking said. "I thank those MPs who have demonstrated strong leadership, slowing the passage of this new tax without proper community and stakeholder consultation."
He said families were already struggling with skyrocketing costs and farmers were battling drought, bushfires and rising expenses.
"A cost of living crisis is not the time to introduce an unnecessary new tax," Mr Hosking said. "The stalling of the Bill gives us hope and more time, but we must see sweeping changes to the proposal."
If pushed through, he warned farmers would be forced to absorb another cost or pass it through the supply chain, adding to family grocery bills.
Mr Hosking also warned that the government's plan to replace long-standing emergency services funding with a new targeted tax was a dangerous policy shift with far-reaching consequence.
"This Bill opens the door for further taxes on emergency services," he said. "Today, it's a tax to fund the State Control Centre and Triple Zero Victoria. Tomorrow, it could be ambulance services, police, or even hospitals. Where does it end?"
Mr Farnham said he wasn't sure when the Bill would return to the Upper House.