By Benjamin Millar
A Yarraville charity that helps feed the hungry is reeling from funding cuts it says jeopardise more than $8 million worth of vital food relief.
Foodbank, a charity which helps feed 710,000 Australians in need every month, has slammed the Federal government’s surprise decision to slash $323,000 per year from its funding.
Foodbank chief executive Brianna Casey said a decision to cut annual funding down from $750,000 to $427,000, announced just six weeks out from Christmas, has dumbfounded the charity.
“This funding program enables us to leverage an extremely modest investment from the government into more than $8 million of essential foods for distribution to 2600 charities around the country,” she said.
“I just cannot fathom why this is happening at all, let alone at one of the most challenging times of year for vulnerable Australians and our drought-affected communities.”
The cut is the third since 2014 and could spell the end of the charity’s ‘Key Staples Program’, in which Foodbank works with suppliers, manufacturers and transporters to ensure stocks of essential foods reach those most in need year-round.
The National Farmers Federation has spoken out in support of the charity, saying it was baffled and disappointed at the cuts coming in the middle of a drought crisis.
Visiting Foodbank on Monday, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten called the funding cut ‘foolish’ and ‘a disaster’.
“When you can find $444 million for a Great Barrier Reef Foundation that didn’t even ask for the money, you’re prepared to give $17 million to big banks, why not give $323,000 to the Foodbank?”
Mr Shorten joined Ms Casey in calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to reverse the funding cut, announced by Federal Minister for Social Services Paul Fletcher.
“This is a test of Mr Morrison’s character… The wrong call has been made.”
Mr Morrison stood behind the funding cuts on Monday, but left open the possibility the decision could be reviewed.
He told Channel 10 program Studio 10 that the government was electing to spread the funding for food support services across three different charities.
“It means that the overall level of service that’s being provided for food support is exactly the same. It hasn’t changed,” he said.
“But I’ll have a chat to the Social Services Minister and, if there’s any need to review that decision, then – it was a decision obviously made by the department – and we’ll take a look at that.”
Ms Casey said Foodbank had lodged a pre budget submission showing it was crucial that the funding be increased to address a “hunger crisis” leaving four million Australians exposed to food insecurity every year.
“Despite demand for food relief growing exponentially, government funding for Foodbank has decreased exponentially, reducing from $1.5m a year three years ago to less than half a million dollars a year from January 2019. It beggars belief.”
GetUp has also joined the chorus of calls for the funding cuts to be reversed.
Senior campaigner Jake Wishart said thousands of people are petitioning Scott Morrison to reverse this “heartless decision”.
“This government is so out of touch it’s scary, while the cost of living goes up, wages stagnate and Newstart stays appallingly low, it is kicking thousands of our most vulnerable residents in the guts by defunding an essential safety net,” he said.
“This is a government that wants to give billions in tax breaks to the big banks while slashing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Foodbank and those experiencing severe hardship.”
By Monday afternoon more than 15,000 people had signed another online petition calling for a reversal of the cuts.
