Mayor Cr Rabie labels ESVF ‘division by design’

Published on 20 February 2026

When Mansfield Shire Council met for their first ordinary meeting of 2026 on 17 February, they once again discussed the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund.

Just days after the Mayor, in his role as spokesperson for Mansfield Shire Council, reestablished his advocacy position against the ESVF, Council’s hands were tied as they reluctantly resolved to send the state government the ESVF payment from Mansfield Shire.

The vote was a formality. Mansfield Shire Council has a legal obligation to fulfil the obligations that the state government placed upon Victorian councils without consultation.

Unwilling to trigger fines and penalty interest that would only serve to cost the shire more than the $1,133,450 the state has already demanded for the second quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, the Councillors ‘regrettably approved’ the payment.

This brings the total of ESVF taken by the state government to $2,099,824 for the first half of 2025/2026 which represents close to a 100 percent increase from 2023/2024 when the state government collected $2,210,435 across four quarters.

Speaking during February’s ordinary meeting, Mayor Cr Rabie stated his belief that Victoria’s emergency services and volunteers deserve proper funding and proper equipment but that the ESVF is not an equitable means of achieving that outcome.

“As Mayor, I will always stand with our emergency services and I will always stand up for fairness for our ratepayers,” he said.

“For decades, our emergency services were funded through consolidated through broad-based taxation shared across the entire community. That reflected a simple and fair principle: emergency services protect everyone, so everyone contributes.”

“What has replaced that model is a targeted, property-based levy that places a disproportionate burden on homeowners, farmers and small businesses — particularly in regional areas.”

“An average increase of 32.7% in one year is not minor reform. It is a substantial new tax on families already dealing with cost-of-living pressures, rising insurance, interest rates and recovery from natural disasters.”

“Emergency services funding should unite the state — not divide it by design.”