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Victorian Government’s withdrawal of funding for chilled food aid met with frosty reception
In a move that has stirred concern among regional food assistance programs, the Victorian Government has discontinued its funding to deliver chilled food items to FoodShares.
FoodShare organisations, which play a crucial role in diverting food from waste to those facing financial hardship, will be particularly affected in rural and regional areas.
A letter from Food Bank Victoria to Moira FoodShare, an organisation with outlets in Cobram and Yarrawonga, highlighting the end of governmental support for chilled food deliveries, confirmed the cessation of funding as of June this year.
The announcement has prompted State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell to advocate for the affected organisations in parliament.
“Northern Victoria is the food bowl of our state and the nation, and yet FoodShares in rural towns are unable to get their hands on food rescued from local producers,” she said.
The issue is compounded by the fact that many dairy products are produced locally, yet centralised donations to Food Bank restrict direct access by local FoodShares.
Ms Lovell further emphasised the vitality of providing dairy products as they are a rich source of calcium for families, especially those with growing children.
In parliament, she called upon Carers and Volunteers Minister Ros Spence to allocate additional funding directly to rural and regional FoodShares, enabling them to continue providing essential chilled products such as milk, yoghurt, and cheese.
“I urge the minister to make funds directly available to regional FoodShares to cover the cost of collecting, storing and transporting chilled food that needs to be kept cold,” Ms Lovell said.