HORSHAM Christian Emergency Food Centre has welcomed the federal government’s decision to backflip on a proposed funding cut to Foodbank.
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Client assessment manager Bev Miatke said Foodbank was the centre’s biggest donor.
“We couldn’t do what we do without their support. They really make it a lot easier for us,” she said.
“Every fortnight we would get at least two pallets of dry good and one pallet of fresh fruit and vegetables from Foodbank. A pallet could be about 400 kilograms worth. That’s a huge amount of what we actually supply to the community.”
Foodbank faced the possibility of having to cut services earlier this week. It would have received a funding cut of more than $250,000 a year following a redistribution of relief budget funds.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison decided to renege the decision after a spate of community backlash.
"Yesterday I promised to review the Foodbank decision. I have listened and decided to increase the Food Relief budget by $1.5 million over the next 4.5 years and have asked the Minister to place more focus on relief in drought affected areas," Mr Morrison announced on social media on Tuesday.
“This maintains Foodbank’s funding at $750K per year, with Second Bite and OzHarvest funded as announced last week. Important that food relief in drought areas is delivered in a way that does not undercut local businesses. Minister will work with providers to get the right plan in place.”
Horsham Christian Emergency Food Centre is the region’s largest provider of food relief. The centre assists 260 adults and 223 children on average each month.
Foodbank provided 23,849 kilograms of food to Horsham Christian Emergency Food Centre in 2017.
Ms Miatke said a funding cut to Foodbank would have “seriously affected” the centre.
“We’re very happy to see their funding get reinstated,” she said.
“We have very generous local community partners as well, such as the bakery and supermarkets, but Foodbank supplied the proportion of what we give out.”
Foodbank receives food donations from supermarkets and gives them to local groups to redistribute back into the community.
“They never know what they’re going to have. We look online once a fortnight and order what they do have available. If we can’t get the basic items from Foodbank, then we buy them locally,” she said.