Independent MLA Thomas Emerson will use a private member’s motion in the Assembly to call for the development and delivery of a co-ordinated ACT food relief action plan.

Emerson’s move comes in the wake of a new VolunteeringACT report showing a 25 to 75 per cent increase in demand for food relief services in the Canberra region over the past year.

“The cost-of-living crisis is crippling households across the ACT. Thousands of Canberrans cannot afford to feed themselves or their families, and are relying on food relief providers for their next meal,” said Mr Emerson.

“People are choosing between food, medicine and rent. Parents are going without to ensure children are fed.

“In a fair society, the hungriest mouths get fed first. That’s not the case in Canberra. A significant number of people across our community will go to bed hungry tonight.

“The level of unmet need in the ACT is seriously concerning. 12,500 Canberrans ran out of food in a year, yet we call ourselves the most progressive jurisdiction in Australia.

“Our community sector is struggling to cope with growing demand for food relief. It’s time for the ACT government to step up and tackle food insecurity in Canberra.”

Mr Emerson’s motion calls on the ACT government to “engage with community organisations, food relief providers, and people with lived experience of food insecurity to develop and deliver a co-ordinated ACT food relief action plan, co-designed with the community sector, to ensure the provision of sufficient food relief services across the ACT.”

As part of that plan, consideration is to be given to “the scope and scale of government support required to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of the ACT’s food relief sector; opportunities to address challenges faced by community organisations in sourcing, receiving, storing and distributing quality food across the ACT; and incentives aimed at the ACT retail and hospitality sectors to encourage food donation and reduce food wastage.”