10 Mar 2016
Emergency Services Levy
The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN ( 15:10 :15 ): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Can the minister rule out that the emergency services levy will be increased as a result of the Pinery bushfire, as it was for the Sampson Flat fire?
The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) ( 15:10 :37 ): I thank the honourable member for his important question, notwithstanding the fact that it has the Hon. Mr Brokenshire rather jealous and fired up. The ESL, as is well known throughout the community and hopefully increasingly well known, provides money into a hypothecated fund that is spent specifically on facilitating emergency services within our community, making sure that our emergency services, which are already some of the best resourced in the country, continue to be well resourced.
The question of the size or the value of the emergency services levy on the people of South Australia is something that the government is constantly keeping its eye on. This is a government that remains committed to having the lowest taxation regime we possibly can to ensure a decent standing level for the people of the state, at the same time balancing that with a well-resourced emergency services sector. Of course, the amount of the emergency services levy will be determined through the budget process, and that process rests with the Treasurer. I am sure that through the budget process the size of the emergency services levy will be known to the South Australian public.
View source