Media release – TasCOSS, 19 December 2023
An uncertain Christmas as more Tasmanians struggle to put food on the table
The worsening cost of living crisis means Christmas won’t be a time of frivolity for many Tasmanians, with a growing number finding themselves in a fight for survival, battling the effects of interest rate rises, increasing rental costs and higher bills for groceries, energy, fuel and health care.
Tasmania’s largest provider of emergency food relief and founding member of the Tasmanian Food Security Coalition, Loaves & Fishes Tasmania, has revealed that at current support levels it can only deliver approximately 45% of what is required by community food partners.
With more Tasmanians seeking food relief, pressure is mounting on community service organisations already struggling to keep up with demand, amidst inadequate resourcing.
As part our 2024/25 Budget Priorities Statement, Supporting Tasmanians in a Worsening Cost of Living Crisis (attached, see pp. 14-16), TasCOSS is calling on the Tasmanian Government to prevent Tasmanians going hungry by boosting funding for emergency food relief providers and the School Food Program, investing in a community awareness campaign, and to work with the Tasmanian Food Security Coalition to deliver the Healthy Tasmania Strategic Plan actions on ‘Eating Well.’
Media release – Vica Bayley MP, Greens Community Services spokesperson, 19 December 2023
Urgent Funding Required to Meet Food Relief Need
The Rockliff Liberal government must immediately step in to provide urgent funding support for Tasmanian food relief charities as they face unprecedented community need this Christmas.
With the cost of living continuing to skyrocket, and state and federal governments offering little support for people doing it tough, local charities say they’re unable to keep up with meeting the basic food needs of tens of thousands of Tasmanians. The result is more people than ever missing meals and going hungry.
1 in 10 Tasmanians are set to need charitable support to put food on the table through Christmas, a level of demand charities are describing as unprecedented. Shockingly, 23,000 Tasmanians are seeking this assistance for the first time.
With organisations like Loaves and Fishes already only able to meet around 45% of demand, the Rockliff Liberal government must immediately step in to provide the funding they need to support Tasmanians doing it tough this holiday season.
Thousands of everyday Tasmanians donate to charities like the ABC Giving Tree and volunteer their time helping charities to support struggling families doing it tough at Christmas. It’s only fair to expect the Rockliff Government steps up its effort too.
Given the Liberals refused to provide community service organisations with the funding they desperately cried out for in the State Budget, the least they can do is to come to the table now with an emergency food relief package.
Media release – Sarah Lovell MLC, Labor Member for Rumney, 19 December 2023
Bleak Christmas ahead for tens of thousands of Tasmanians
Tasmanian Labor supports calls by TasCOSS and other emergency food relief suppliers for more relief for tens of thousands of Tasmanians to ensure they do not go hungry this Christmas
Tasmania’s largest provider of emergency food relief and founding member of the Tasmanian Food Security Coalition – Loaves & Fishes Tasmania – has revealed that at current support levels, it can only deliver around 45 per cent of the help needed.
And TasCOSS says research shows that in the past 12 months, a whopping 84,000 households have struggled to have enough to eat – an increase of 18,000 on last year.
We know that far too many Tasmanians have been going without food, or going without essentials themselves to feed their families but these figures are incredibly alarming and show the full extent of the issues facing ordinary Tasmanians in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.
In a place like Tasmania with all of our advantages, it beggars belief that people are going hungry at such a deeply concerning rate.
If this doesn’t require urgent action, I don’t know what does – but, after 10 years, this tired old Liberal government has shown no care and provided no relief to people who are in genuine need.
I urge them to start listening to emergency providers and provide the kind of support and resourcing needed to ensure Tasmanians are not going hungry – not just at Christmas, but at any time of the year.
