A new specialist Food Relief Taskforce will advise the Victorian government on key strategies and initiatives to strengthen the state's food relief system.
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Senior representatives of the food relief sector, peak bodies and key government officers will come together on the taskforce to ensure food supply and distribution is coordinated and targeted to areas most in need.
The Regional Food Relief Network is the representative for regional Victoria on the taskforce and with Bendigo Foodshare chairperson Cathie Steele elected to the taskforce.
The Food Relief Taskforce will be instrumental in ensuring our food relief system is effective and reaching all Victorians struggling to put food on the table.
- Luke Donnellan, Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers
Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Luke Donnellan said in a statement in April the government had invested in the food relief system to help Victorians get fresh, healthy food when they needed it.
"The Food Relief Taskforce will be instrumental in ensuring our food relief system is effective and reaching all Victorians struggling to put food on the table," he said.
Food distribution organisations Foodbank, Secondbite, Fareshare and OzHarvest are on the Food Relief Taskforce.
The Victorian Farmers' Federation, Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, Victorian Council of Social Services, Municipal Association of Victoria, Victorian Multicultural Commission and Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation are also represented.
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Government representatives on the taskforce are from the departments of Health, Families, Fairness and Housing, Jobs, Precincts and Regions and Social Services.
Food Relief Taskforce meetings will initially be held every four to six weeks, with future meeting frequency to be determined. Mr Donnellan attended the first meeting on April 20, 2021.
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The announcement of the taskforce followed the state government's $5 million Community Food Relief Fund, which provided one-off grants to 93 community sector agencies supplying food during the pandemic.
The government has also invested $3.5 million to establish five designated regional food relief hubs to increase food relief storage and distribution services in regional Victoria.
Albury-Wodonga Regional Foodshare, Bendigo Foodshare, Geelong Relief Centre, Mildura Foodshare and Warrnambool and District Foodshare will deliver the hubs.
$10 million was promised in the lead up to the 2018 election to establish Foodbank Hubs in Ballarat and Morwell. Foodbank has not yet secured a site to build the Ballarat hub.
"The Andrews Labor Government continues to support Foodbank Victoria on the delivery of the Ballarat Food relief hub and we look forward to the project's completion in late 2022, when it will further strengthen food relief efforts in Ballarat and the Grampians," a government spokesperson said.
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Rochelle Kirkham
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
