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Am I eligible?

To access the rebate, you must be an eligible volunteer or life member of one of the following organisations:

• Country Fire Authority (CFA)
• Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES)
• Shepparton Search and Rescue Squad (SSRS)

Volunteers must:

• not be inactive, or suspended due to disciplinary action
• not be paid for your role as a volunteer (except when being reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses)
• have completed at least 12 months of service, including any probationary period to become a volunteer.
• not have been on leave of absence for the entire duration of last 12 months.

Life members must:

• be life members of their organisation, not just their brigade or unit

To be eligible for the following years’ rebate, you must meet the criteria above on 31 May. For example, to claim a rebate for the 2025–26 ESVF, you must have met the criteria on 31 May 2025.

You have up to two years to apply for the rebate.

You cannot claim a Volunteers Rebate on the cost of the previous Fire Services Property Levy, which the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) is replacing.

Is my property eligible?  

Each volunteer or life member can claim the rebate for one property only per financial year. You can choose which leviable property you own (or have a stake in) to claim the rebate for. But there are some conditions.

You can claim the rebate for one of the following:

• Your principal place of residence (as long as you own it in your personal name)
• One parcel of farmland where you have a direct or indirect ownership interest. For example, as a shareholder of a company that owns the land or as a beneficiary of a trust.
• Two or more parcels of land in a single farm enterprise (where you have a direct or indirect ownership interest).

The rebate for farmland and single farm enterprises is capped at $1,710.

A rebate can only be paid once per property and per person in a single year.

There are other conditions you’ll need to be aware of. To learn more, read the guidelines and FAQs.