Targeted support to sustain food relief across Western Australia

• $3.8 million support package to sustain food relief services amid fuel price surge
• Direct funding for major providers and a State-wide grants pool to support frontline organisations
• Ensuring essential food reaches vulnerable communities across metropolitan, regional, and remote WA

The Cook Labor Government is delivering targeted support to Western Australia's food relief sector as unprecedented fuel price increases place significant strain on food relief services.

To help maintain critical services, the State Government will deliver a $3.8 million support package.

This includes $1.5 million in targeted funding for major food relief providers ($500,000 each) - Foodbank, OzHarvest, and SecondBite - to offset escalating freight and logistics costs and ensure continued distribution of essential food supplies across Western Australia.

A further $2.3 million will establish a grants pool, administered by Western Australian Council of Social Service, to support community organisations already delivering food relief services and facing rising operational costs and demand pressures.

Global instability, driven by conflict in the Middle East, has seen fuel costs surge sharply, with these increases flowing directly through to transport, freight, and logistics costs for food relief organisations across the State.

Western Australia's vast geography presents many challenges, including the cost and complexity of servicing regional and remote communities, making targeted support essential to maintaining equitable access to food relief.

This investment will help ensure that vulnerable Western Australians continue to receive the support they need and comes after consultation through the Cook Government's Industry Support Working Group.

The ministerial taskforce is meeting regularly to explore targeted measures to support WA industries and keep the economy strong through the ongoing impacts of the war in the Middle East.

Comments attributed to Treasurer Rita Saffioti:

"Our government is stepping in with targeted support to help Western Australians who need it most.

"Food relief organisations provide an essential service to people doing it tough, so this is about giving them certainty to continue that work in these challenging times.

"This support has been developed by the Industry Support Working Group, which is working with industry to respond directly to the pressures being felt on the ground.

"Our government will continue to respond in a practical and responsible way to these global pressures, just like we have in the past."

Comments attributed to Community Services Minister Matthew Swinbourn:

"This targeted support will help ensure providers can continue to deliver essential food relief services right across our State, including in regional and remote communities.

"At a time of increase demand, food relief organisations are on the frontline of this challenge with increasing fuel and logistics costs impacting both their operations and their suppliers who provide donated food stocks.

"We are committed to building safer and more inclusive communities, and that means making sure people can access the basic essentials they need, when they need them."