20/5/03
For the first time, volunteer emergency service brigades and units throughout the State will not be reliant on community handouts and their local government for essential funding.
Emergency Services Minister Michelle Roberts said the new Emergency Services Levy was designed to ensure the brigades and units were properly funded to do their job safely and properly.
"For more than 100 years, volunteer groups have supported their communities in time of need and I believe it is time that we returned that support," Mrs Roberts said.
The Minister today released details of the rates for the new Emergency Services Levy (ESL), enabling property owners State-wide to calculate what they are likely to contribute this financial year.
For Perth homeowners, the median ESL payment will be about $67, while for those on the fringe of the metropolitan area, who rely on volunteer support, it will be about $46.
"In regional cities the levy will be about $48, in regional towns $30, while those in rural and remote areas will pay a fixed charge of $30," Mrs Roberts said.
The ESL replaces the existing inequitable funding arrangements, which included a very complicated mix of levies on insurance premiums, State and local government contributions and volunteer fundraising.
"The previous funding arrangements were unfair and antiquated," the Minister said.
"They no longer meet the needs of the emergency services or the wider community.
"One in three homes in Perth is uninsured or underinsured and some companies insure offshore or self-insure, thus tens of thousands of property owners are not contributing to the cost of emergency services but still benefit from them.
"In regional Western Australia, many emergency services volunteers are inadequately supported in terms of equipment and protective clothing. Often this is no fault of the local government or community - they simply can't afford to provide what is needed.
"The ESL is a simpler and fairer system and will fix these and other inequities."
Mrs Roberts said total funding for fire and emergency services this financial year would be more than $144million. This would include:
- $82million from the ESL;
- $30.5million from insurance contributions;
- $24million from the State Government (in addition to their $6.5million ESL charge on Government buildings); and
- $7.7million, from other revenue.
The Minister said the amount property owners in the Perth metropolitan area and regional centres would pay this year was reduced to account for funds being collected on insurance premiums until the end of December.
"We have reduced the ESL rates for this year to ensure insurance policyholders are not overcharged," she said.
The ESL will be included on local government rate notices, issued from July 1 onwards. It will be clearly identified as the 'Emergency Services Levy'. Seniors and pensioners who qualify for a rebate on their council rates will receive the same level of rebate on their ESL charge.
Mrs Roberts said the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) had developed an on-line levy calculator to help property owners calculate their estimated ESL charge.
The calculator is on FESA's website at
http://www.fesa.wa.gov.au/Emergency_Services_Levy(Note: to calculate the exact amount requires a property's Gross Rental Value as at July 1, 2003.)
ESL Rates and Charges 2003-04 Minister's office: 9213 6600
