FIREFIGHTERS are hanging up their overalls in protest, refusing to turn out to emergencies in protest against the new fire services levy.
Some 25 CFA volunteers who are primary producers for the Boweya Fire Brigade have been hanging their overalls over their front fences to let the state government know they're off duty for any emergencies outside their immediate area.
The government has backed down from the initial tax instalment date of 1 July 2025 for the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund levy concerning primary producers, but that's not enough.
Despite the 12-month reprieve for primary producers paying the property tax, for many about $20,000 a year extra, firefighters are sending a clear signal to the Labor government to scrap the tax altogether.
Boweya CFA brigade member Doug James said a predominant percentage of CFA brigade members are farming landholders who will pay triple the property tax they're paying now.
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"It rubs salt into the wound as people are giving up their voluntary time to protect the community and we have to wear this outrageous, disproportionate tax," he said.
"Every farm will be hit with another $20,000, the damn rates are bad enough as it is."
It's not just the financial cloud hanging over local CFA members, it's the social impact this could have on many who withdraw from the community and become isolated.
"The local CFA is the only connection that a lot of these members have left," he said.
"You talk about mental health and you can see how people go down the gurgler."
Mr James used the old saying 'you cut the suit to fit the cloth' as an analogy to the government's spending on new vehicles and equipment in a time it and taxpayers can't afford it.
"The CFA and the SES have all these 'you beaut' expensive toys, but nobody has asked the question about what we can afford," he said.
Mr James made reference to the aerial firefighting fleet which he said are useless in high wind scenarios such as the 2014 fire that threatened the James' property.
"These massive trucks that cost $500k - do we all need to have these trucks when a $200k truck would suffice?
"The same goes for the SES, does every unit need the jaws of life when most of them use a crow bar and a battery angle grinder?
"I've been to an accident situation and they spend half their time laying the equipment out of tarps and there's some poor bugger trapped in a car.
"Meanwhile half an hour later they go to get him out and then they have to borrow our crowbar to do it."
He said when CFA members deployed on the steps of parliament in recent weeks, a lot of the city folk were unaware of the new levy.
"The easiest way I say it is: How would you be if the government said we're going to have a levy to fund the police force, but your area has a higher crime rate so we're going to slug you triple?" he said.
When the tax hits primary producers in July next year farmers will not be much better off financially in what Mr James said is currently one of the worst seasons in his farming career.
He and his son Steven will be looking to cull the sheep flock at the end of this month during weaning, as they couldn't do it before as they're right on the eve of lambing.
"We'll be selling off ewes then because we're just about exhausted and you can't buy hay and we're buying in wheat now," he said.
"It's pretty tough and we've still got the lambs to keep them going or sell them at stores where the margin will get chopped out, but we can function with some cash flow.
"It's worse down in south west Victoria and people are just going to walk away when they have to sell their whole milking herd - you don't come back from that in a hurry."
CFA District 23 group officer Lachie Gales explained that at the worst about 10 brigades were offline, but it's "a fluid situation".
He said some bridges went offline to attend the rally in Melbourne, some are making a longer term stance, and in every case they're doing work to make sure people are still covered in the communities.
"While they're making a protest they're still not necessarily neglecting their communities," Mr Gales said.
"For a lot of these people this is an extraordinarily difficult choice to make and when you think about a CFA volunteer and their motivation it's really in their DNA to serve.
"These kind of action are not taken lightly at all and they are really the result of years of a lack of respect exhibited.
"This current issue for many is the straw that breaks the camel's back."
Meanwhile, Victorian Treasurer Jaclyn Symes has revealed during budget preparations that administration costs associated with the roll-out of the ESVF in 2025-26 are $12 million despite local councils being responsible for collection of the tax.
