Thursday, 17 October 2024

Northern Victoria Region

Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (12:44): (1166) My constituency question is for the Treasurer. On 30 June the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing cut all funding to Foodbank Victoria’s regional delivery of chilled products. Foodbank has since been unable to provide regional not-for-profits with chilled food goods to supply. This means those urgently seeking food assistance in regional Victoria are left empty handed while metro centres have fully stocked fridges. My constituents in regional Victoria have felt this closure immensely. Without Foodbank’s provisions Moira FoodShare is now unable to source chilled food goods elsewhere to provide to the Moira shire community. To further cut funding in a cost-of-living crisis is an unacceptable blow to Victorians, particularly those doing it tough in rural and regional Victoria. My constituents want to know if the Treasurer will reinstate Foodbank’s crucial northern Victoria funding allocation.