One RFS brigade president said the “anger” the proposed fee had generated was “incredible”. Photo: Supplied.
New documents have revealed how volunteer emergency services and ESA senior officials were blindsided by the ACT Government’s now-scrapped $11 fee for working with vulnerable people checks.
The WWVP charge had been proposed in the 2024-25 ACT Budget, to begin in September, but was quickly abandoned after community and political pressure.
At the time, the government said the decision was based on community feedback and stakeholder engagement, especially with VolunteeringACT and ACTCOSS.
But the documents, released under Freedom of Information laws, suggest that at least the emergency services sector wasn’t consulted before the fee was proposed in the first place.
The internal ESA correspondence between senior executives, including the Director of Policy and Strategy and the Acting Director of ESA Intelligence, described concerns that the fee was “going to put people off”.
“Are people upstairs aware of this? When we already have an issue with volunteer participation and retention, I don’t feel that the government is reading the room,” one senior ESA official said.
“This idea was not very well thought out … the government charging people to volunteer for the government … No good.”
Both the ACT Rural Fire Service and the ACT State Emergency Service are mainly made up of volunteers. ACT Fire and Rescue Community Fire Unit members are also giving up their time to serve the community.
The president of one RFS Brigade wrote to the government, stating that while the charge in itself was small, the “anger it has generated” was “incredible”.
“The larger problem than the money is that charging a fee for a qualification that is mandated by law to perform their volunteer duties is problematic and will undoubtedly affect volunteer retention, and goodwill,” they wrote.
“Imposing a fee on [ACTRFS volunteers] essentially means taxing a workforce that generates savings for the government without receiving wages.”
A letter from the ACTSES Volunteers Association also warned that the symbolic significance of charging volunteers made it seem like the government’s appreciation for their work was “conditional”.
“[This policy] risks undermining the goodwill and respect that volunteers have rightly earned,” it read.
“This fee does not align with the government’s public expressions of gratitude toward emergency service volunteers.”
A spokesperson told Region the ACT Government had a “practice of indexing fees and charges” during each budget process, which was why consultation hadn’t occurred before the fee was announced to the public.
“It was designed to strike a fair balance between supporting the vital role of volunteers and ensuring the long-term viability of a trusted, robust registration scheme,” they said.
“Changes regarding the cost of obtaining WWVP checks for volunteers included a grace period until September 2025. This allowed for time to understand the potential impact on volunteers, including those who volunteer with the ESA.”
The aim of the $11 fee was to cover the cost of conducting an Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission criminal check ($7) and the physical WWVP card ($4) over five years (meaning it would have cost $2.20 per year).
The WWVP application and renewal fees now stand at $157 for paid work (which is tax deductible) and no fee for registrations for volunteer work.
“Demand has grown for the WWVP scheme. Not all positions that involve contact with vulnerable people need a Working with Vulnerable People registration,” the spokesperson said.
“It is only required for people volunteering in regulated activities, who have more than incidental contact with vulnerable people. Access Canberra will continue to educate stakeholders about when a WWVP background check is needed.”
The spokesperson said reversing the fee’s implementation was a result of listening to community and stakeholder feedback, not political pressure.
Emergency Services Shadow Minister Deborah Morris said the documents proved the government was “making decisions in a bubble”.
“The FOI shows this wasn’t a misunderstanding, the government really did try to charge volunteers to volunteer,” she said.
“The government only backed down because volunteers fought back and forced them to. They didn’t consult, they didn’t listen, and according to their own staff, they didn’t ‘read the room’.”
Canberra Liberals leader Leanne Castley added that this wasn’t the first time the ACT Government appeared to have failed to consult with the appropriate stakeholders before making and announcing proposals and decisions.
“There will be a motion this week [in the Legislative Assembly] about the Multicultural Community Centres and the fact that [the ACT Government] has not consulted with those groups, I’ve been meeting with different faith groups … they don’t get consulted with by the government either,” she said.
“It does seem to be this wall of ‘we’ll just tell you what we’re doing and the community must get on board’.”
