Labor has cruelly ripped funding away from two vital emergency food relief services, compromising their ability to help Wimmera people already struggling during a cost-of-living crisis.
Horsham’s Christian Emergency Food Centre and Stawell Inter Church Council Cottage have received recurrent funding for many years to enable them to support thousands of residents across Horsham Rural City, Yarriambiack, Hindmarsh, West Wimmera and Northern Grampians municipalities.
However Labor has failed to provide the more than $130,000 the two not-for-profit services were relying on for this financial year, with no explanation of why funding has been cut.
During the 2024-25 financial year, the services received more than 4300 contacts for assistance and helped about 3000 people with food and financial assistance for expenses such as medical prescriptions, emergency fuel and utility bills.
The Nationals’ Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, said it was unthinkable that any government would take funding from organisations with long-standing records of providing critical support.
“With the rising costs of living overseen by Labor governments at state and federal levels, we know more people than ever are doing it tough,” she said.
“Energy costs are skyrocketing, taxes are increasing and grocery prices are rising, putting enormous pressure on many across our community.
“In the past financial year, the Christian Emergency Food Centre and The Cottage provided well over half a million dollars worth of client support in the form of food and financial assistance, which is desperately-needed relief for hundreds of families and individuals that would otherwise go without.
“The two centres have about 100 volunteers combined who give hundreds of hours each week to support their communities. For Labor to fail to provide funding to allow them to continue this crucial work is heartbreaking and cruel.”
Earlier this year, the Christian Emergency Food Centre was able to buy a customised van with a community-voted grant from Horsham Sports and Community Club, after previously relying on volunteer vehicles for food pick-ups and deliveries.
More than 650 club members voted for the centre as the preferred grant recipient, which Ms Kealy said demonstrated the enormous impact the centre and its counterparts like The Cottage had on the community.
“The amazing volunteers behind the Christian Emergency Food Centre and The Cottage do an incredible job, and I stand with them in advocating for Labor to immediately reinstate government funding to ensure these services can continue to be a beacon of hope and support for people in need across our region,” she said.