Eligible Volunteers Rebate Scheme
Eligible volunteers and life members can receive a rebate on their Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund liability.
The Volunteers Rebate is now open
Emergency services volunteers make an enormous sacrifice for their communities and our state. To recognise their efforts, the Victorian Government delivers the Eligible Volunteers Rebate Scheme (Volunteers Rebate).
You can apply once you’ve received your council rates notice
To apply, you’ll need to have:
Volunteer member number
Your unique volunteer member number helps prove you’re eligible for the rebate.
The rates notice you received for the 2025–26 or 2026–27 year
You can apply for a rebate using the rates notice for the relevant financial year. To apply, use either your 2025–26 or 2026-27 rates notice.
Identity document
You’ll need to provide a valid identity document, like a driver licence or a passport.
Evidence of qualifying ownership interest
Evidence of ownership if you own shares in a company that owns the farm or you have an interest in the farm as a beneficiary of a trust.
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 except if that absence has been approved by the organisation under specific circumstances.
Life members must:
- be life members of their organisation, not just their brigade or unit
To be eligible for the following year’s 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; and to claim a rebate for the 2026–27 ESVF, you must have met the criteria on 31 May 2026.
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) replaced.
Is my property eligible?
Each volunteer or life member can claim one rebate 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 for the 2025–26 levy year and $3,152 for the 2026–27 levy year.
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 FAQ.
Find out more
We have a range of resources available to help you understand and apply for the Volunteers Rebate.
How to apply for your rebate
Check your eligibility
Read the guidelines and the FAQs to confirm that you and your property are eligible
Gather the required documents
- valid identity document
- volunteer member number
- rates notice for 2025-26 (previous financial year) and/or 2026-27 (current financial year)
- previous year’s application reference number (required only if you were successful for a rebate in 2025-26)
- If required – evidence of company ownership (an ASIC annual company statement or current company extract, issued within the last two years). (Required only for first-time applicants and for return applicants whose ownership arrangements have changed)
- If required – a signed and witnessed statutory declaration, created using our statutory declaration generator, declaring your interest in the land as a beneficiary of a trust (required only for first-time applicants and for return applicants whose ownership arrangements have changed)
Log on to your volunteer portal
Take a moment to make sure your details are up to date, verify your volunteer eligibility and apply using the link in your volunteer portal.
Country Fire Authority
Volunteers for the Country Fire Authority (CFA) can apply for the rebate through the CFA online volunteer portal.
If you are a CFA Life Member or need help accessing your CFA members online account, visit the login support page.
Victoria State Emergency Service & Shepparton Search and Rescue Squad
Volunteers for the Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) and the Shepparton Search and Rescue Squad (SSRS) can apply for the rebate through the VICSES online volunteer portal.
VICSES Service Life Members who are not able to access the portal will be contacted directly.
Call us on 1300 778 931
Available: 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays)
The Victorian Government has set up a dedicated hotline to support the Volunteers Rebate.
You can also message us anytime.