Foodbank

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-107911

Hansard session: Fifty-Seventh Parliament, First Session (57-1)

Foodbank

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (19:06:35):

In December last year I had the pleasure of volunteering at Foodbank in its Glendenning warehouse. When Foodbank came into being in 1992, the overriding aim was to ensure good food did not go to waste. In the 27 years since the foundation, Foodbank has evolved and matured into the largest hunger relief organisation in Australia, providing food for 183,000 meals a day to over 2,400 charities nationally. It also provides regular breakfasts to over 116,000 students in 1,750 schools around the country. Foodbank's purpose is to fight hunger by providing quality food to people in need. It was interesting to gain an insight into Foodbank's operations and processes. We hear about the incredible work of charities, churches and not-for-profits for the wider community but, oftentimes, we are not aware of what goes on behind the scenes for them to get their resources and food to begin with. Visiting the Foodbank warehouse showed us how food gets from A to B—from supermarkets to soup kitchens.

Foodbank's model is simple and effective. First, surplus food is donated by farmers, manufacturers and retailers. Foodbank then collects, sorts and stores the food. Agency partnerships and schools receive and distribute the food and, finally, people and communities are fed in times of crisis. The process saves millions of kilograms of edible food from landfill. People do not realise that often hunger is not just a food problem; it is a logistics problem. Each year, millions of kilograms of food goes to waste in Australia while 3.6 million Australians have experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months.

Food banking captures surplus food and delivers it to the people who need it most. Without Foodbank's food sourcing and distribution work, many hungry individuals and families across the State, particularly in country and regional New South Wales, would miss out on food that would otherwise just go to landfill. In addition to food storage and distribution, Foodbank also has the School Breakfast Program, which delivers healthy breakfasts to some of the most disadvantaged schools across the State. More than one in five Australian children have experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months. It is more likely for a child than an adult in Australia to experience food insecurity. That is why such a program is important. I am grateful that Foodbank is providing practical solutions to combat the issue of hunger in our communities.

The School Breakfast Program has provided breakfast to over 40 schools in New South Wales. It has provided fresh produce and pantry staples to low socio-economic schools for their students to take home. With the help of Kellogg's, Foodbank provided over 35,000 healthy breakfasts to Sydney students last year. The results of the program are outstanding. Parents reported the following improvements in their children as a result of receiving food assistance: a total of 34 per cent felt less hungry, 33 per cent were happier, 20 per cent had more energy, and 20 per cent had their behaviour improved. Programs such as the School Breakfast Program are possible only because of the volunteers who commit their time and energy to ensuring those kids are properly fed. I thank the regular volunteers, staff and directors for their dedication and support because without their combined efforts, Foodbank could not possibly operate.

A special thank you must also be extended to CEO and Company Secretary Gerry Andersen, Chairman Peter Kelly, Executive General Manager John Robertson—a friend to all of members of the House—and Volunteer Coordinator Luke Chesworth. I also thank the New South Wales Government Department of Family and Community Services, as well as the Environment Protection Authority for its support and sponsorship over several years. As the Liberal-Nationals Government, we do what we can to ensure that our support and sponsorship of the outstanding operation continues far into the future. I conclude by congratulating Foodbank on 27 excellent years. It is placing dignity back into the lives of many individuals who feel ashamed or embarrassed because of their inability to provide for their family. For that, we congratulate and honour Foodbank today.