General News
17 June, 2025
Pressure on the government must continue - Chris Colbert
Despite Premier Jacinta Allan's announcement on May 30 that farmers would be exempt from the new Emergency Services Volunteer Fund for 12 months due to the drought, third-generation Watchem farmer Chris Colbert says the premier has not gone far enough.
He is concerned about the rest of the community, who will still have to pay it as it stands, and what it means for the farmers at the end of the 12 months.
"The tax is still there," he said
"The announcement is a band-aid measure at best."
He said the community must keep the pressure on the government to scrap the levy.
"We can't take our foot off now.
"People think it only affects farmers and CFA volunteers, but that's not true; it affects the whole state. Every rate payer will have to pay the increase.
"It will affect the small business owner, the staff members they can't continue to employ, and that in turn will affect families who depend on that money. It's a snowball effect.
"There's no exemption for the rest of the state. And the levy is every year.
"There is no cap on it for farmers past the twelve months, so we don't know how much we'll end up paying, and I'm concerned about that too."
He fears the general cost of living will increase, rents will rise, and communities will disintegrate.
Chris Colbert's family has farmed at Watchem since settling in the late 1880s, like many of his neighbours, and his feet are firmly planted in the soil farmed by his ancestors who cleared the land and did the "hard yards."
He is a third-generation family farmer, and his son Ty is the fourth.
They farm grain and sheep, and it's a family affair with the children being part of daily farm life all their lives.
"Our best years were probably the eighties and nineties," he said.
"Our children were carefree and ran free."
Mr Colbert is also a 40-year veteran CFA member and, like many of his fellow members, also farmers, has opposed the new Emergency Services Volunteer Fund since it was announced at the end of 2024.
But his concern extends to all Victorians who the levy will financially impact.
He believes the levy is unjust and unfair to everyone in the state, and while it is in place, it creates an uncertain future for all Victorians.
He also believes the agricultural community and the value of food production in the Wimmera and across the state have been overlooked by the government, and believes there should be more farmers on councils and in parliament, so decisions made would be fairer across all sectors of the community.
Mr Colbert's father, John, was a councillor on the Donald Shire Council for 20 years, and he remembers his father's concern about how decisions made by the council affected the whole community.
"He paid particular attention to the agriculture sector because he understood the challenges of farm life. Droughts and floods included," he said.
"We enjoy the rural lifestyle, that's why we live here, and he fought for that way of life we enjoy.
"The past five or six years have been good.
"We threw seed out the window and the grass grew, but this year is different."
Mr Colbert is no stranger to the changing seasons.
His generation weathered the Millennium drought, and his father and grandfather battled the elements and hardships that came with the necessary manual labour before modern machinery.
He says the current drought is difficult to manage, but experience has taught farmers how to adapt, but not the threat to farming the current political climate presents. He says that's hard.
"My son Ty is 20 and all he ever wanted to do was farm, but the future of agriculture is different now," he said.
The challenges facing farmers mean they must become experts in fields other than farming.
"Our young farmers face a real threat to a sustainable future with the levy and the aggressive push for renewables and mining across Victoria," he said.
"Farmers now have to negotiate energy and mining companies; it's a whole new ball game.
"No longer do we get up in the morning, check the weather, and farm.
"We have so much more to deal with, and it's a minefield."
Mr Colbert said his family is concerned about the future and the uncertainty of the agriculture industry.
The Colberts have dry sown some of their acreage this season, and by the time they sow the remainder, they'll have depleted their store of grain, so rain is paramount to get a good yield for this season and replenish their stores for the coming year.
Hie is concenred about the added pressures people face now and the effect on their mental health.
"Many people are pushed to the limit already," he said.
"And there seems to be no let-up with the government's relentless disregard for the agricultural community."
But the ESVF has united regional communities across the state.
Thousands of Victorians, estimated between 5000 and 8000, gathered on the steps of Parliament House on May 20 to send a message to the premier that they opposed the new levy and wanted it scrapped completely.
Mr Colbert says the 12-month cap for farmers is just the beginning.
"We must keep the pressure on the government; the state election in 2026 must be the focus of all Victorians," he said.