Opposition says Victoria’s fire levy must go
Victoria’s opposition National Party has pledged to review the state’s fire services levy (FSL) and implement a fairer system that if it is elected to government next year.
Nationals leader and Opposition bushfire response spokesman Peter Ryan says the FSL is “essentially a tax on insurance premiums” under which “people who insure their home against fire pay for those who don’t”.
“There are other fairer models in other states which more evenly distribute the cost of funding fire services.”
Mr Ryan says he has written to the Federal Government’s review of Australia’s taxation system and to the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission requesting the issue of the FSL be reviewed.
“Given the unfairness of the FSL, which increases insurance premiums of country Victorians by up to 68%, it is crucial that the current system is reviewed,” he said.
He says the recent 5% increase in the FSL “has made an unsatisfactory arrangement completely unacceptable”.
Nationals leader and Opposition bushfire response spokesman Peter Ryan says the FSL is “essentially a tax on insurance premiums” under which “people who insure their home against fire pay for those who don’t”.
“There are other fairer models in other states which more evenly distribute the cost of funding fire services.”
Mr Ryan says he has written to the Federal Government’s review of Australia’s taxation system and to the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission requesting the issue of the FSL be reviewed.
“Given the unfairness of the FSL, which increases insurance premiums of country Victorians by up to 68%, it is crucial that the current system is reviewed,” he said.
He says the recent 5% increase in the FSL “has made an unsatisfactory arrangement completely unacceptable”.