Volunteers Firefighters Protest, Say They’re Being Used to Disguise New Tax on Victorians

Libertarian MP David Limbrick and Liberal Moira Deeming both spoke at the protest on the steps of Parliament House.

Thousands of farmers and Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteer firefighters gather outside Victoria's State Parliament in Melbourne, Australia, on May 20, 2025. William West/AFP via Getty Images

Thousands of Victorian volunteer firefighters, farmers, and residents protested in front of the state’s parliament, saying they are being used as a smokescreen for a new tax.

On May 15, the Victorian Parliament passed the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) bill to replace the previous Fire Services Property Levy, charging households and farms.

While the Allan Labor government claims the ESVF will help the emergency services, the local firefighters’ union say they are being used as cover for the latest tax to deal with the state’s ballooning near-$200 billion debt.

It follows a similar move in 2021 by then-Treasurer Tim Pallas who introduced the “Mental Health and Wellbeing Levy” on large businesses to fund health services while the government struggled to control its finances.

The Protest

Videos on social media showed a row of fire trucks parked outside the Victorian Parliament on the morning of May 20, as Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteers in uniform held banners and placards calling for the abolition of the ESVF.

They were joined by farmers and local residents unhappy with the tax hike.

Thousands of farmers and Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteer firefighters gather outside Victoria's State Parliament to protest against the government's new emergency services tax, in Melbourne, Australia on May 20, 2025. William West/AFP via Getty Images

One CFA volunteer said the new tax was a cash grab to make up for the state government’s incompetence, while another said it was insane to put a huge tax on Victorians to pay for government debts.

Libertarian MP David Limbrick, who attended the protest saying there were already enough taxes and levies imposed on residents.

“Do you feel like you get good value for those taxes that you pay?” he asked—to which the protesters responded, “No.”

The MP then pointed to examples of poor money management including the recent $589 million (US$374 million) compensation fee for cancelling the 2026 Commonwealth Games—that the same government applied for.

“They didn’t even give us free tickets for it [the 2026 Commonwealth Games], and now, when they don’t have enough money … they use the good name of volunteers, of firefighters and everyone else to raise more taxes,” Limbrick told protestors.

“And the idea that they couldn’t find waste in other areas to pay for this is absolutely a lie.”

Thousands of farmers and Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteer firefighters gather outside Victoria's State Parliament in Melbourne, Australia, on May 20, 2025. William West/AFP via Getty Images

Liberal MP Moira Deeming, also present at the protest, said her party would scrap the ESVF if elected at the next election.

“If you scrap the government, we’ll scrap the tax,” she said on social media.

“Under a Brad Battin government, we will scrap Labor’s so-called ‘emergency services tax’– which is really just a tax on food through farmers.”

Smaller protests by CFA volunteers were also reported in Geelong and other suburbs in Melbourne.

Thousands of farmers and Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteer firefighters gather outside Victoria's State Parliament to protest against the government's new emergency services tax, in Melbourne, Australia on May 20, 2025. William West/AFP via Getty Images

Victoria’s 2025 Budget

On the same day of the protest, the Victorian government released its new budget papers, which included a modest $600 million operating surplus–the first since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Labor Treasurer Jaclyn Symes said the surplus marked a “turning point” for the state’s budget, saying that debts would begin to fall in the coming period.

Despite the treasure’s optimistic remarks, the budget projected that net debt would continue to grow to $194 billion by June 2029, up from the $167.9 billion forecast for the 2025-26 financial year.

In addition, debt servicing costs will be expected to increase from $21 million to $29 million a day by 2027–28.