No relief from state for Mansfield Shire

Published on 16 May 2025

Mansfield Shire has been left out of the Drought Support Program that sees $29.4 million in support for farmers and rural communities across Victoria. This was on top of the announcement that the Emergency Services Volunteer Fund (ESVF), which Council lobbied against, was passed through the upper house yesterday 15 May 2025.

Mayor Cr Steve Rabie said the news was dire for Mansfield Shire.

“Yesterday was an incredibly disappointing day, with the passing of the new unfair ESVF tax that sees regional communities paying for services that should be funded by the state government. On top of that, the state made an announcement of real financial assistance and Mansfield Shire, along with other shires across our district, has been left out.

“I’ve written to the Minister for Agriculture to ask for direct financial assistance to our community.

“I can’t walk down the street without people telling me that their families are on the brink of financial and emotional collapse.

“Dams are dry. Farmers are having to sell their livestock as they run out of feed and water.

“There is no doubt about this – we are in a severe drought.

“The Mansfield Shire community is incredibly resilient. We have a can-do attitude and have weathered many tough times and have come through. However, I am seriously concerned about these hits to our community.

“We are already struggling with managing through the drought and then to watch as the state government introduce a bill that will have a massive unfair impact on every member of our community is a real kick in the teeth.

“To make matters worse, not being eligible to participate in the drought infrastructure grant program is really the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Farmers in eligible LGAs will receive partial rebates under the Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund through their participation in the drought infrastructure grant program. So, the fact that Mansfield Shire’s community isn’t eligible means we will be hit twice as hard by these decisions.

“We are hearing from our community that we are at breaking point. We can’t afford to pay the unfair tax and we need immediate financial assistance to help us through this drought. Council will continue to lobby the state government for better outcomes for our community,” said Cr Rabie.

Council offers financial counselling and other support services to community members. Contact Council for more information.