Council
22 May, 2025
Britnell slams State Government as rural towns hit on two fronts
SOUTH West Coast MP Roma Britnell has slammed the State Government over its lack of support for drought-stricken farmers, saying those in the agricultural industry had been hit on two fronts last week.
Mrs Britnell said last week’s passing of Labor’s Emergency Service and Volunteers Fund, a rebrand and expansion of the Fire Services Levy, was nothing more than a new tax on Victorians to prop up the finances of government departments.
The tax, which represent a $2.1 billion hit on Victorians over the next three years, passed State Parliament overnight last Thursday.
In addition, she said the Allan Labor Government’s paltry drought relief package was little more than an expansion of the ‘On Farm Infrastructure Grants Program’ which provides up to $5000 in co-contribution grants for water and fodder storage infrastructure for new areas in Victoria.
Ms Britnell said there’s absolutely no extra relief for drought-stricken farmers in the south west.
“Farmers are already not taking up this program because it doesn’t meet their needs,” she said.
“The program fails to recognise the fact that south west Victoria is being impacted the most by severe drought conditions and that farmers need support to buy fodder and water for immediate usage, not containers to put them in.
“There’s no point increasing money for a program which is not well targeted or helping farmers to survive the drought.
“It’s a wasted opportunity.”
Ms Britnell said the passing of the Emergency Service and Volunteers Fund represented a “dirty deal” which would only hurt regional Victorians.
“When it comes to Labor’s disgraceful new emergency services tax, the Liberals and Nationals have opposed it from the moment it was mooted last December, but a dirty deal has been done with The Greens,” she said.
“Labor’s Warrnambool-based Western Victorian Upper House MP Jacinta Ermacora voted for the new tax and now must explain why she is making a difficult situation for farmers even worse.”
Ms Britnell acknowledged widespread protests which have seen Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteers step down, which has seen a large number of brigades declared offline – meaning they are not available to attend emergencies due to a lack of members.
“The protest is spreading across the state,” she said.
“More brigades are contacting me saying they have gone offline because volunteers have decided that they will no longer be available.”
“Driving home from parliament, I saw CFA jackets hanging on fences.
“The farmers tell me that this is not over and they will continue to protest.”
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