Emergency Services Levy

About the Emergency Services Levy

The Emergency Services Levy (ESL) funds the provision of emergency services in South Australia and applies to all land (collected by RevenueSA) and some mobile property (paid as part of your vehicle registration). The money collected by the ESL is placed into a dedicated fund (Community Emergency Services Fund) for the exclusive use of the emergency services including:

• Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS)
• Country Fire Service (CFS)
• State Emergency Service (SES)
• Volunteer Marine Rescue SA
• SA Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM)

and the rescue components of:

• Surf Life Saving South Australia (SLSSA)
• South Australian Police Rescue
• The State Rescue Helicopter Service

Every dollar raised through the ESL pays for the delivery of critical and life-saving fire and emergency services across the State.

This includes South Australia Police operations in response to emergency situations and rescues, the Department for Environment and Water for its bushfire management operations, and the South Australian Ambulance Service towards its Special Operations Team used for high-risk rescue.

Non-government organisations such as Volunteer Marine Rescue and Surf Life Saving South Australia receive funding towards their emergency service operations and infrastructure needs. This includes the cost of the fixed and rotary wing aerial shark patrol for our metropolitan beaches during the summer months. 

No matter where you live in South Australia, you will see the direct result of the funds raised via the ESL being invested in the community.

More information about the ESL can be found on RevenueSA’s website: Emergency Services Levy | RevenueSA