A growing demand for food relief is putting pressure on Canberra charities to maintain supplies. Photos: OzHarvest Canberra.
Once-comfortable Canberrans are fronting up for food relief as high prices and mortgage repayments overwhelm their budgets.
OzHarvest’s annual Community Needs Survey of frontline charities shows a spike in the number of Canberrans seeking food support for the first time.
It reveals 37 per cent of ACT clients are going to a charity for food for the first time, the highest level in the country and a 10 per cent increase from last year.
The survey released on 24 April shows the demand is stretching the resources of ACT charities with 59 per cent seeing an increase in demand and 64 per cent reporting they need more food supplies to help stock people’s pantries.
Those seeking help include working families with double incomes who would never have imagined going to a charity.
OzHarvest ACT’s Christine Scottt said the gap between demand and resources was growing, but this had been anticipated.
What has taken frontline staff by surprise is the number of new faces coming through their doors.
“It’s not a case of hardship for people we don’t know,” Ms Scott said.
“This is a story of our neighbours, our friends having to look for support for that first time.
“This is showing us the demand is coming from a much broader cross-section of our community.”
Ms Scott said many were being forced to make the worst possible decisions with food sitting at the bottom of a list of bills and commitments that had to be met.
This meant children missing breakfast before heading off to school and an empty lunchbox.
She said there was no doubt interest rate rises were hurting those with mortgages and more were turning to charity.
With winter soon upon us, charities are expecting things to only get worse as energy bills start to rise.
The Community Needs Survey shows a similar situation across all states and territories.
OzHarvest is calling for urgent government action including appointing a dedicated minister for food to coordinate food security, food waste and food system solutions; ongoing, sustainable funding for essential food rescue and relief; and cost-of-living help including increased welfare payments and housing affordability measures.
Food delivery at Canberra PCYC which supports families in need.
Ms Scott warned that with resources squeezed some charities may have to turn people away without more support.
“We need sustainable funding to support the problem today, and really that more holistic approach to address the crisis at a local and national level for the future,” she said.
“We need to tackle hunger at its source, plus we need the ongoing support that ensures no-one goes hungry for a meal today.”
Ms Scott said a minister for food would create a central point of leadership and stop the issues of food security and food waste falling between government departments.
She said OzHarvest was grateful locally for ACT Government funding, some of which contributed to a third truck for rescuing food in Canberra.
But more support was needed.
After a motion from Independent MLA Thomas Emerson passed the Legislative Assembly unanimously in February, the ACT Government agreed it would work towards a more coordinated response via an ACT Food Relief Action Plan to meet growing food insecurity.
But that plan was not scheduled to be tabled until March 2026.
Ms Scott said the sector was working hard to fill the gap in the interim, but needed sustainable funding to address the problem today.
OzHarvest’s Giving Day Appeal is running until 18 June.
Ms Scott called on the Canberra community, individuals and government to get behind local charities at the front line of providing food and services.
“Every $1 donation equals two meals for someone in need that we can get out into the community for free to those charities so they can use their resources in other ways.”
