Media Statement

Immediate Release

Interview Opportunities: Foodbank WA CEO, Kate O’Hara


$500,000 funding boost help Foodbank keep moving food across Western Australia

Foodbank WA has welcomed a $500,000 funding boost from the Cook Labor Government to help us manage rising fuel and freight costs and continue delivering food to communities across Western Australia.

The funding forms part of a $3.8 million State Government package supporting food relief services as global fuel prices place increasing pressure on transport and logistics. 

Treasurer Rita Saffioti said the targeted support was about helping Western Australians who need it most, recognising the essential role food relief organisations play for people doing it tough and providing certainty so services can continue during challenging times.

The investment will help Foodbank WA offset higher freight costs and keep essential food moving to charities, schools and community organisations, including those supporting people in regional and remote areas.

Community Services Minister Matthew Swinbourn said food relief organisations are on the frontline of rising demand, with increasing fuel and logistics costs impacting both their operations and the suppliers who donate food. 

He said the funding would help ensure providers like Foodbank WA can continue delivering essential services right across the State, including to regional and remote communities, so people can access the basic essentials they need when they need them. 

Foodbank WA CEO Kate O’Hara was pleased with the announcement saying that “when it comes to moving food around Western Australia, we know exactly how many kilometres it takes. Our food relief network is unique as it stretches from as far north as Kalumburu, using two trucks and a barge, across to border towns like Blackstone and right down to Esperance, and everywhere in between. 

To move 5.5 million kilos of food each year, we rely on 18 third-party logistics partners and a fleet of 23 vehicles. Keeping those wheels turning is essential for Western Australians doing it tough. 

We are incredibly grateful to the State Government for this support. With fuel and freight costs rising so sharply, there was a real risk to our ability to keep food moving at the scale required. This funding gives us certainty and helps ensure people across the state can continue to access the food they need.” 

The support follows consultation through the State Government’s Industry Support Working Group and reflects the importance of maintaining equitable access to food relief across Western Australia’s vast geography. 


Media contact:  
Kath Robinson | Brand and Engagement Manager 
kath.robinson@foodbankwa.org.au | 08 9463 3806 | 0414 558 957

About Foodbank WA

Hello, we’re Foodbank WA. We believe everyone should have access to healthy food. There are Western Australians going without every day, and we are working hard to change that. 

We provide food and groceries to those who struggle to afford them. We also deliver nutrition education to promote healthy eating and advocate on behalf of people that experience hunger and food insecurity. 

We are here to support Western Australians in times of need. We do this through: 

  • Providing 9.3 million meals last financial year to those who were doing it tough 
  • Distributing food and groceries through 550 frontline charities 
  • Providing breakfast and fruit to 550 schools feeding 27,300 children weekly 
  • Delivering nutrition education attendances to over 6,546 children, adults and parents  

We work with farmers, wholesalers, manufactures and retailers who donate and redirect surplus product to us. This also plays a vital role in tackling food waste and positively contributes to climate change by reducing CO2 emissions arising from landfill. 

Our purpose is to Feed. Educate. Advocate.