Calls for more SES funding

For just $30 a year per household, the Victorian SES could operate without having to rely on fundraiser barbecues and rattling tins to pay the bills.

For just $30 a year per household, the Victorian State Emergency Service could operate without having to rely on fundraiser barbecues and rattling tins to pay the bills.

Lobby group Fund VICSES is calling on the state government to broaden the scope of the Fire Service Property Levy to include the SES, in a bid to secure a more sustainable funding model.

SES volunteer and member of the Fund VICSES group Mike Bagnall said each unit received a state government subsidy between $16,000 and $32,000.

“Outside of that, for the unit to operate they need to raise their own funds, such as a barbecue, tin rattles, grants, in every possible way we can,” Mr Bagnall said.

“What we’re asking for is about $30 a year per property. For $30 a year for a service we deliver for floods and road crashes, it’s one hell of an insurance policy.”

Mr Bagnall said Victoria was the only state that did not have a form of emergency service levy.

SES volunteer Mike Bagnall has said greater transparency is needed regarding how the fire service levy is spent, and on what resources. Picture: Supplied.

“What we’re asking the government to do is look at our fire services levy, and change it to an emergency service levy, as a guaranteed sustainable funding source. At the moment, every year we’re beholden to the government financial budget as to what we will or won’t get.”

A Victorian government spokesperson said the government has invested more than $165m since 2017 to deliver “new and upgraded VICSES facilities”.

More than $16m in grants have been provided through the Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program, the spokesperson said, with funds used to purchase operational equipment, vehicles, and other minor facility improvements.

The 2024-25 budget allocated almost $7m for VICSES crucial services, including funding for volunteer training, on top of an average $62m in base funding annually.

“We will continue to work with VICSES to determine their priority infrastructure upgrades and projects,” the spokesperson said.

“Any supplementary funding models such as inclusion in the fire services property levy are worthy of consideration”.

Mr Bagnall said the Victorian SES was the only SES organisation in the country that required corporate sponsorship in order to operate.

“We’re sponsored by AAMI. We’re appreciative of AAMI. But for a state-based service to have a corporate sponsor … it’s disheartening, but a reflection on the government that we’re asking corporations to boost an emergency service,” he said.

“We’ve had that response for six months. The question for us is it’s nice to say it’s worthy of consideration, but what does consideration look like.”

Mr Bagnall said greater transparency was needed regarding how existing fire service levy funds were distributed.

“How it’s collected and dispersed, it’s impossible to work that out,” Mr Bagnall said.

“It’s got to be transparent.”