MEMBERS of the Victorian Legislative Council spent most of the night on Thursday night debating the Fire Services Property Amendment (Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund) Bill 2025 but their commentary revealed that the devil of the legislation may be in the detail.
In an exchange with Jaclyn Symes, the Treasurer and Minister for Regional Development, Eastern Victoria MP Melina Bath highlighted the issue of who is eligible for the rebate and the funding generated by the levy.
“The Australian Volunteer Coast Guard are financial and affiliated members of the CFA. Can you confirm that the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard members will be eligible for, first of all, a rebate, as they are a volunteer service, and are they eligible for funds?
Minister Symes said the government had no intention of gazetting anyone other than CFA and VICSES volunteers to be eligible for a rebate.
“I was having a conversation earlier with Mr Davis about the MOU between Shepparton Search and Rescue and the SES. That confers a lot of operating procedures and legally binding responsibilities, and they basically become the equivalent of SES in a statutory authority sense. Affiliation does not do the same. I do not have any intention of gazetting anyone other than CFA and VICSES volunteers to be eligible for a rebate under the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund. Similar to my answer to the list that Mr Davis read out, we will continue to work with agencies on their funding requests in the usual way,” said Minister Symes.
“Just to clarify, the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard, even if they do have an affiliation with the CFA and financial membership with the CFA, will not be receiving funding through this legislation, through this levy, and they will not be getting a rebate? I am just confirming that,” asked Ms Bath
“If they are CFA volunteers, they will be eligible for a rebate,” said Minister Symes.
The Liberals’ David Davis had earlier listed organisations such as Shepparton Search and Rescue Squad, Echuca & Moama Search & Rescue Squad, Life Saving Victoria, Marine Search and Rescue, Australian Volunteer Coast Guard, Alpine Search and Rescue Victoria and Bush Search and Rescue Victoria that were not in bill and not supported in the bill.
“Just to understand about the rebates, the list of organisations I read before, will they be eligible for rebates? Do you want me to read them again? Echuca–Moama…” asked Mr Davis.
Minister Symes tried to be clear.
“As I just said, Mr Davis, it is VICSES and CFA volunteers that will be eligible for a rebate because they are the agencies that will be part of the funding arrangements that we are proposing,” said the Minister.
But then it got murky.
“Shepparton Search and Rescue members will also be eligible for a rebate by virtue of the MOU with the SES. Anybody else that is in a similar situation and has an MOU in the future would be able to consider that as well. In relation to ordinary volunteers across the board, I certainly value the work they do, but this rebate is for dedicated emergency services personnel such as CFA and SES.”
“I am just trying to understand: will Life Saving Victoria have the same mechanism for rebates or not?
“No,” said Ms Symes.
Despite passing the bill in the Legislative Council on Thursday night, the debate is likely to go on.
