Emergency Services Property Levy introductory legislation

Legislation has been introduced to make way for the Emergency Services Property Levy (ESPL). The ESPL will replace the insurance-based Emergency Services Levy (ESL) from 1 July 2017 and will be paid alongside council rates. 

Professor Allan Fels AO and Professor David Cousins AM have been appointed as the Emergency Services Levy Monitor and Deputy Monitor.  They will be responsible for ensuring that insurers pass on the savings of abolishing the ESL onto households and businesses through a reduction in insurance premiums. 

Prof Fels and Cousins performed the same roles in Victoria, when the state underwent a similar transition.

The Monitor will be able to seek to impose fines of up to $10 million where insurers engage in prohibited conduct. 

The Property Council supports the implementation of an Emergency Services Property Levy that is fair and acknowledges property owners who properly manage their assets through fire mitigation and suppression systems.  It will be important to ensure that design of the new system be informed by the good tax principles of efficiency and fairness. 

Under the ESPL all property owners in NSW will contribute towards the cost of fire and emergency services. It will be important to ensure that the structure of the system fairly allocates the ESPL.  

To read the media release click here.