Relief on ESVF Extended

Published on 08 December 2025

Southern Grampians Shire Council welcomes last week’s State Budget update confirming a two‑year rate freeze for primary producers under the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF). This freeze offers timely relief for local farmers navigating cost pressures and uncertainty across the sector.

Council has championed this outcome heavily through sustained advocacy to the State Government, working together with neighbouring Councils in the South West Victorian Alliance (SWVA) and advocating to the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) to ensure regional voices were heard and understood.

Southern Grampians Shire Mayor Cr Dennis Heslin said he was “pleased to see the freeze extended on this tax which unfairly burdens and disproportionally affects rural communities”.

“Agriculture underpins our local economy and community life. This decision recognises that reality and delivers immediate relief for those who feed, grow and sustain our region.

“We will keep pressing for equitable approaches to rating and taxation that support our local producers and emergency volunteers, not just for the next two years, but for the long term,” Cr Heslin said.

Southern Grampians Shire Council extends congratulations to CFA volunteers across our shire and region, who have advocated tirelessly against this levy. Their leadership, service, and persistent campaigning ensured the lived experience of regional communities was impossible to ignore. Council acknowledges their efforts and welcomes the further relief delivered to primary producers through the ESVF freeze.

While this announcement is a strong step forward, Council will continue working with government, SWVA, CFA and MAV to secure lasting outcomes that strengthen our farms, support local jobs, and protect the resilience of our communities.

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