Many would be familiar with the idiom “the devil is in the details”. Less may be familiar with the original on which it was based which
was “God is in the detail”. In this instance – both aptly demonstrate my point.
Details are important.
The original reference to God being in the details was to illustrate that whatever we do, it should be done thoroughly and paying close attention to even the smallest aspects of a task or plan to achieve excellence.
The reference to the Devil being
in the details is to illustrate that even seemingly minor or insignificant aspects of a task or plan can cause significant problems and unintended consequences can derail a task or plan from achieving its purpose.
In other words – while things may look simple on the surface, it is
the detail and the complexity of how something works that ultimately determines if the desired outcome is achieved.
It is this point entirely, that underscores the importance of robust and genuine consultation. It’s why we do what we do. If the plan or idea does not survive the
relentless probing of genuine consultation, then it is far better (and cheaper) to know that before you embark on it - than after. However, if you hide something from genuine consultation and then it starts falling apart and creating issues that keep undermining the very thing you were trying to achieve – then those consequences are on you and you alone.
This sums up my conflicting thoughts on the governments “Eligible Volunteers Rebate Scheme.”
At a principal level – VFBV has always maintained that volunteers should not be expected to pay for the very service they are providing their community for free.
Therefore, in achieving that outcome, we would
be looking for arrangements that are fair, equitable, easy to administer, easy to understand and promotes the value of volunteering while respecting the volunteer ethos.
Surely not too much to hope for.
I don’t think anyone can reconcile the current scheme with those objectives, even if that was what was intended to be achieved. Too many people are excluded making it divisive, there are rules and rules that make trying to assess eligibility difficult, and the budget predicts it will cost millions of dollars to administer.
Even if we accept the notion that this was intended to help and recognise volunteers on face value, this is instantly washed away by the lack of engagement and consultation in its design and premise. As we have previously reported, the scheme was announced by media release late last year, without any consultation and then tinkered with in secret though the parliamentary and budgetary processes that have created such a web of intricacy and competing interests, that the chance of unintended consequences is almost guaranteed.
From a stakeholder perspective, we have been forced to strongly advocate for changes to a flawed model, uncomfortably wriggling through compromises and detail we are principally opposed, but at the same time - trying to achieve the best outcome for volunteers and the communities in which they serve.
We successfully prosecuted the argument that only recognising “active” volunteers without any processes or systems in place
that allow everyone to know exactly what an active volunteer was - would require brigade Captains to determine who got a rebate and who did not, causing significant division and conflict within brigades and communities. We also argued that this would create division and demarcation between operational roles and non-operational roles. We also argued that excluding someone because they took a short leave of absence would be discriminatory for members (especially members taking maternity leave) and
flew in the face of the fact that employees routinely take long service leave, annual leave and sick leave without any consequences on their entitlements – so why should volunteers be treated any different?
I am pleased to say that we have successfully resolved these issues.
And while we have been effective at influencing real change, nothing can paper over the fundamental issues at the core which
simply make the scheme inequitable and will result in a lawyer’s picnic of complications and contradictions within the rules. Too many people are still excluded.
Normally I would prosecute the arguments both for or against something, however the lack of genuine consultation leaves me, you and all other volunteers completely in the dark on some of the reasoning for the convoluted detail and structure of the scheme. Their
loss.
Putting all that aside – as at July 25, 2025 the scheme is now open, and eligible volunteers who have received their rates notice on an eligible property can apply for a rebate.
Members will need to log into their CFA Members
Online account on the CFA website as the first step. We have worked hard with CFA to try and make this first part of the process as easy as possible.
If you haven’t logged in to your CFA account since the introduction of two factor authentication (2FA), then this will need to be setup. For every member that has not yet registered for 2FA, if your mobile number or email address is on your CFA record, then you have been pre-enrolled in 2FA automatically, using your phone or email to receive the verification code. You can change this later should you desire.
Brigade Captains have been sent
a letter detailing any members within your brigade that did not have either a phone number or email and therefore could not be pre-enrolled, so that personal assistance could be offered.
Once you have successfully logged in, click on the “ESVF Rebate Portal” tile on the front page of the members area. CFA honorary life members who are no longer members, may access a separate process via a link on the public page of the CFA website.
The CFA portal will do a preliminary verification of your CFA records and tell you if you are eligible based on your current records. To be eligible you must: have served for at least 12 months; completed your
initial probation; you were not suspended on disciplinary grounds; and you have not taken a leave of absence for the whole preceding 12 months. All these criteria are assessed as at the 31 May.
Once you pass this step a digital record will be instantly added to CFA’s database, that will now allow you to proceed to the Department of Government Services portal, letting them know you have passed your CFA eligibility test.
Now some will ask why there are two portals, and in the spirit of transparency, VFBV strongly advocated that no private or personal CFA membership data be shared with the government, which would have been required had members not accessed a CFA portal first. We advocated for this based on the feedback we received from volunteers during the recent introduction of drivers having to enter their license details onto CFA systems. Feedback was very clear on the importance
members place on privacy and security of the information that CFA stores on them and the need to protect from identify theft.
We were also cognisant of how poor CFA records can be at times. We have seen this first hand when assisting sick volunteers through the presumptive cancer legislation process. We didn’t want a volunteer to be at the mercy of a bureaucrat who had no understanding of how CFA works trying to sort out an incorrect membership
record.
So, under this system – if you fail the initial eligibility on the CFA end, you can request a manual intervention where a member of CFA staff will manually go through your membership records and help you fix any legitimate errors that are impacting on your eligibility before you apply for the rebate.
So yes – there are two steps – but we feel this is justified in the circumstances. VFBV is
also willing to defend this step because CFA genuinely consulted with us during the development of their portal which gives us confidence this is the best method available and we were able to consider the alternatives. The same cannot be said for the next steps which have all been done by government without any engagement with volunteers.
Once you pass the CFA eligibility test, which is all done in real time and can be done in seconds - you will
then be provided a link to the Government Services Portal and you are handed over to a government process of which CFA has no control.
On this portal you will need your CFA volunteer number; your rates notice; and proof of identification such as a driver’s license. Members receiving paper copies of their rates notice will also need to know how to scan and upload their notice. Our calls for a paper application, or in person application to cater
for members who do not have reliable internet access or who are not computer literate have so far been ignored. But they have provided a hotline 1300 778 931 available during business hours to assist.
The Government portal will then compare your details with all the other data sets that government holds, including a title search on the property, to inform your eligibility.
Once your application is
lodged – you will then need to wait for your application to be reviewed. Once approved you will then have the value of your rebate deposited to your nominated bank account. You can then proceed to pay your rates bill in whatever method you usually choose.
The government FAQ’s state most applicants will receive an outcome within 30 days.
One of the biggest issues we see arising is the case of the property not being in a member’s name on the title. This is likely to be a regular occurrence, especially in the case of rural land holdings, or properties that are held in a spouse’s name. And while you have an avenue to go to
demonstrate your ownership in the case of land held in trust or via a company structure, a simple family home that is not registered in the same name as the eligible volunteer is likely to be determined ineligible for rebate under the current rules.
Again, we would encourage volunteers who find they are ineligible for the rebate to make contact with their local MP, especially given the lengths the Premier has gone to deflect any criticism of their new emergency services tax on the basis that all volunteers would be exempt.
Sadly, the devil was in the detail. We encourage members who intend on claiming the rebate to do so as soon
as they get their rates notice, to factor in the time it takes for your application to be reviewed. We also encourage members to familiarise themselves with the FAQs found at https://www.vic.gov.au/evrs
