Emergency levy

ALL property owners in Western Australia will contribute to funding the State’s fire and emergency services from July 1 this year.

Local governments will collect the ESL (Emergency Services Levy) on behalf of Fire and Emergency Services Authority of WA through rate fees.

In 2003-04, each property owner will pay a minimum of $30 a year. The maximum amount for a residential property or vacant land is $175 and for commercial or for industrial properties $100,000. The ESL rates will be announced in May.

FESA chief executive Bob Mitchell said property owners would save in some areas through the abolition of the existing system.

“As funding will no longer be raised through the insurance companies, it has been legislated that the existing fire service levies must be removed from building and contents policies.”

The abolition of the insurance levies could save residential property owners up to 19 per cent and up to 31 per cent for commercial and industrial properties.