The Volunteer Firefighters Association of NSW, the ‘voice of volunteer rural firefighters’ in the Rural Fire Service welcomes the NSW State Government’s commitment to reform emergency service funding by replacing the current insurance based levy with a property based levy.
The Volunteer Firefighters Association has been campaigning for a property based levy since our inception 8 years ago.
Currently only those NSW property owners with home and contents insurance contribute to the funding of NSW emergency services whilst the uninsured, under-insured, and those who insure offshore do not contribute their fair share.
The VFFA supports a property based levy as it spreads the costs of funding the emergency services such as the RFS across the community.
The NSW Government has released a discussion paper and invited public submissions on the property based levy. VFFA members are encouraged to provide feedback to the Government discussion paper at the following link:
www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/ESL<http://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/ESL>,
The VFFA supports the adoption in NSW of a funding model similar to the Western Australian Emergency Services Levy (ESL).
The WA Emergency Services Levy (ESL) funds all career and volunteer fire bushfire brigades and the volunteer State Emergency Service (SES) across the state.
The WA funding model is considered a fairer system as fees/charges are dependant on the type and level of fire and emergency services available to a property and the classification of the property i.e what the property is used for.
The introduction of the Emergency Services Levy in Western Australia has seen a record boost in funding for WA emergency services which is benefiting frontline volunteer bushfire brigades.
The VFFA invites members to view the WA Emergency Service Levy model at the following link.
VFFA members are welcome to provide feedback on the merits of adopting the WA Emergency Services Levy model in NSW by completing the general feedback formfeedback@volunteerfirefighters.org.au
The VFFA supports the NSW Government’s commitment to a fairer and fiscally responsible funding arrangement for Emergency Services.