Victorian SES funding cut despite surge in emergency responses
Victoria's SES volunteers responded to 36,000 emergencies in 2024-25, only to have their funding slashed by the Allan government.
Victoria’s State Emergency Service volunteers had their government funding cut by $5m in the 12 months to June 30, according to its latest annual report tabled in parliament this week.
The cut were made during one of the SES’s busiest seasons, with its 4443 orange-clad volunteers responding to almost 36,000 incidents.
All up volunteers spent 342,000 hours clearing spring and summer storm debris, responding to road accidents, launching search and rescue missions, as well as supporting CFA volunteers fighting the December and January Grampians fires.
Yet despite those demands the SES’s latest annual report shows total grant funding received from the government and its agencies fell from $92.74m in 2023-24 to $87.7m in 2024-25, leaving it with a $5m operating deficit.
The service also saw a big year-on-year drop in online donations, from $379,000 in 2023-24 to just $64,000 in 2024-25.
Victorian Emergency Services Minister Vicki Ward said: “There has been no cut to VICSES funding”.
But the annual report (extract below) clearly shows Ms Ward’s own Department of Justice and Community Safety, plus other departments and government agencies cut SES funding.
Opposition emergency services spokesman Danny O’Brien said: “Labor continues to starve our frontline volunteer emergency agencies of funds while taxing Victorians $3bn under its new emergency services tax.
“Our volunteers deserve support, not spin, and these cuts show that the government is not serious when it comes to properly funding our frontline agencies.
“You can’t listen to what Labor says, you have to look at what they do.”
The SES annual report was due to be tabled with parliament by the end of October, however Ms Ward told parliament “I received the report on 13 November 2025 - due to delays with VAGO completing its review”.
The annual report shows VAGO signed off on the report on October 8.
