Dozens of local councillors have vowed to step up a campaign against the state's emergency services levy increase. The government is standing by the controversial rise, which it's frozen for farming properties this year. But those opposed to the hike say they won't rest until there's an inquest into the levy.
00:00Farmer Scott Young says conditions on his livestock property have improved, but he's still worried about the future.
00:08Because of the dry times we've had to feed a lot of our livestock for a long time now.
00:13I used up all my reserves in the first six months of this year, so had to buy feed in and a lot of farmers have had to do that.
00:20He's concerned that pressure could grow next year, when many farmers will be asked to pay substantially more under the state's controversial emergency services levy.
00:29In 2019 was $465, last year was $3,300 and then potentially without the hold that they've put on at the moment would have been up to over $10,000.
00:42The state government says the hike is about preparing emergency services for the realities of climate change.
00:48But after a fierce backlash, it froze the increase for primary production properties for a year.
00:53On paper, the value of agricultural land like this, so close to the urban sprawl of metropolitan Melbourne, has been steadily rising.
01:01But farmers say that doesn't necessarily mean they're earning the incomes to match.
01:05Some local councils who were forced to collect the levy met today in Melbourne to fire up a campaign against the changes.
01:12We don't want to be involved in this. We don't want to do the state government's dirty work. It's up to them.
01:16They're pushing for the tax to be put on hold and want an inquiry to investigate.
01:20It's bad politics. It's bad economics. It's bad for councils. It's bad for Victorians. It needs to be stopped.
01:26Taking the fight from the farm to Spring Street.
