MEDIA ALERT

3 January 2024

“Rent or Food?” Cruel Choice Grips WA as Cost of Living Crisis Spirals

Anna*, a single parent juggling two jobs, clutches her meagre grocery list: “Rent took everything this week. We’ll manage with noodles, but what about my kids?“

Her story echoes through thousands of WA households, caught in a cruel vice of soaring rent and empty cupboards. The WACOSS Cost of Living Report shows that surging rent prices are pushing households, particularly those on fixed incomes and government support, to the brink.

“388,000 households in our state went hungry this year, with over half of them holding down jobs,” said Kate O’Hara, CEO of Foodbank WA. “This isn’t about a lack of hard work or responsibility; it’s about a system that’s simply failing too many people.”

Retailers like Coles and Woolworths are reporting record profits, however, the average single parent family has just $1.40 left over per week after meeting their estimated basic living costs.

“Choosing between rent and groceries is a cruel ultimatum forcing people to prioritise survival over well-being. In a country with enough food to feed its entire population three times over, this is completely unacceptable,” said Ms O’Hara.

The Financial Wellbeing Collective, who provides support and services to those in financial hardship, have seen a surge in demand for its services as cost-of-living pressures mount across the community.

General Manager of the Financial Wellbeing Collective Helena Jakupovic says her team have experienced record numbers of people seeking emergency relief, food support and help to pay utility bills.

‘’Our Emergency Relief and Food Access Service received a record 3,761 calls in November – 700 more than November 2022. And for the first two weeks of December, we received a 52% increase in calls on the same time last year,” says Ms Jakupovic.

“What this tells us is that cost of living pressures are making it harder for people to afford necessities like food and utilities.”

This comes as no surprise to The Financial Wellbeing Collective, whose financial counselling clients are deemed to be in housing stress with the ratio of housing cost to income sitting at 38%. Anything over 30% is deemed as housing stress according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Published: Wednesday, 3 January 2024

Media contacts: 

Moira Aynsley | Senior Manager, Brand
moira.aynsley@foodbankwa.org.au | 08 9463 3218 | 0433 567 224

Clare Ross | Marketing & Communications Coordinator
clare.ross@thefwc.org.au | 0433 293 183

About Foodbank WA

Hello, we’re Foodbank WA. We believe everyone should have access to good quality food. We’re here for the everyday Western Australians who are going without. And it’s our job to help 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 7.8 million meals last financial year to those who were doing it tough
• Distributing food and groceries through 335 frontline charities
• Providing breakfast and fruit to 501 schools feeding 22,000 children weekly
• Delivering education programs for over 5,200 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 vision is to end hunger in Western Australia by 2030. Our purpose is to Feed. Educate. Advocate.

MEDIA ALERT

13 December 2023

Bannister Downs Dairy Expands Partnership with Foodbank WA to Support People in Food Stress

For all the years Hancock Prospecting has partnered with award winning Bannister Downs Dairy they have sought to improve the lives of West Australians through the regular donation of milk supplies to the south-west of the state through Foodbank WA’s Bunbury depot.

Having been a long-term supporter, Bannister Downs Dairy will expand their partnership with Foodbank to include a weekly donation of fresh and flavoured milk to Foodbank WA’s Centre for Hunger Relief at Perth Airport. This will then be distributed to all branches across Western Australia.

With the holiday season upon us and sharp increases in the cost of living even more families require support just to meet their basic food needs. Milk is a vital part of a nutritional diet and Foodbank’s current supply doesn’t meet demand.

The Foodbank Hunger Report 2023 highlighted the reality of food stress in West Australia as the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact. The report states that 388,000 households in this State are experiencing moderate to severe food stress. Half of which have children at home.

Kate O’Hara, CEO, Foodbank WA said “We are experiencing unprecedented demand for food relief in the lead up to Christmas. With each interest rate rise we see more and more people reach out for help. We could not support those who rely on us without the support of generous food donors like Bannister Downs Dairy, particularly given the demand we have for milk.”

Hancock Agriculture Executive Chairman and Bannister Downs Dairy part owner, Mrs Gina Rinehart AO, and Sue Daubney, Managing Director, Bannister Downs Dairy visited Foodbank WA’s Centre for Hunger Relief to make the offer of increased supplies.

“It is increasingly concerning that so many families and children do not have access to food basics. We are pleased that we can extend our support by offering the highest quality and nutrient rich Bannister Downs fresh milk to support the important work Foodbank is doing across the state,” Sue Daubney said.

The ability to provide nutritious and healthy food, including milk, is vital to supporting people struggling to put food on the table. Milk carries nutrients that are often under-consumed – potassium, B12, calcium and vitamin D – along with vitamin A, magnesium, zinc and B1. All important for bone health in growing children and as we age.

In addition to the Bannister partnership, leading iron ore company Roy Hill, majority owned by Hancock Prospecting and Chaired by Mrs Rinehart, has supported Foodbank WA since 2020 through emergency relief hampers provided to Pilbara Families, and is in discussions on an initiative for the region.

“Hancock companies operate throughout West Australia and are more than just a company name. We are very proud of the quality of the Bannister Dairy, and other agriculture we produce. However, as Foodbank WA CEO Kate O’Hara clearly says, with each interest rate rise, more and more people are finding it difficult to cope, so more than our milk is of course needed. In these difficult times with costs escalating, it will help many Australians if government burdens, be they fuel tax, licence fees, stamp tax, payroll tax or others were dropped. Which relief on behalf of many West Australians in difficulty, I’d like to ask the governments to undertake,” said Mrs Rinehart.

Media and interview contact: 

Moira Aynsley | Senior Manager, Brand
moira.aynsley@foodbankwa.org.au | 08 9463 3218 | 0433 567 224

About Bannister Downs Dairy and Foodbank Partnership

• Bannister Downs Dairy has supplied milk to Foodbank in Bunbury for more than 10 years
• Since 2018 alone, Bannister Downs Dairy has supplied over 15 tonnes of milk
• An additional weekly delivery of milk to Foodbank WA Perth Airport warehouse will commence prior to Christmas 2023
• Milk supplied by Bannister Downs to Foodbank’s Perth distribution centre will be used at branches across the state

About Foodbank WA

Hello, we’re Foodbank WA. We believe everyone should have access to good quality food. We’re here for the everyday Western Australians who are going without. And it’s our job to help 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 7.8 million meals last financial year to those who were doing it tough
• Distributing food and groceries through 335 frontline charities
• Providing breakfast and fruit to 501 schools feeding 22,000 children weekly
• Delivering education programs for over 5,200 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 vision is to end hunger in Western Australia by 2030. Our purpose is to Feed. Educate. Advocate.