Mornington Island’s crippling grocery prices compound social issues

Beset by social issues, the residents of this Queensland island also must deal with astronomical grocery prices: $500 for a basic shop.

Fresh food and toiletries are so expensive on Mornington Island that many in the small indigenous community struggle to afford them.

Islanders are paying in some cases more than double or triple for staple items than their fellow Queenslanders in Brisbane.

The problem has sparked a push for government help with food and freight subsidies as well as a local market garden in a bid to improve the health conditions on the island.

Toothpaste, yoghurt, butter, toilet paper, fruit and vegetables all come at a high cost on the island.

Mornington Mayor Kyle Yanner said he found some of the prices on the island ridiculous, but acknowledged the efforts of the local shop general manager and butcher to keep prices affordable.

“To fill a small trolley up, that’s $500,” he said.

“There’s half my wage gone… on not just food, but your essentials – toothpaste, toothbrush, nappies and all your groceries.”

He said a subsidy would be a “start” to making groceries on the island cheaper, but that it would mean more reliance on government.

“The subsidy would be a start, but long term… I think we’d like to move ahead and be able to get our own barge and run our own costs,” Cr Yanner said.

Mornington Mayor Kyle Yanner. Picture: Brian Cassey

He said establishing a market garden on the island would allow the community to bypass freight costs, while building local cattle stations would make meat cheaper.

Tony DiFrancesco, said the finances at the store were very tight, and that the store needed assistance from the government, such as subsidies.

Mr DiFrancesco, manager of the local store, who has been working on the island for almost three years, said he deliberately did not make money out of the sale of fruit and vegetables at the store in a bid to assist the community.

“I don’t want the community to have to pay too much money,” he said.

“It’s not a wealthy community.

“The great thing about the community is that they want fresh produce, they want their apples, and their lettuces and bananas and all the stuff that we get in and it’s healthy.”

Mr DiFrancesco said the store faced big freight costs.

Dave Meyer, who works at the butcher on the island owned by his father, also pointed to the freight costs for the business – something he suggested could be subsidised.

“I think if the government can subsidise the flights to the island, surely they can do something about subsidising the freight as well,” he said.

“I know how tough it is for the community, so we try and keep our prices pretty competitive with the mainland.”

Meat prices on Mornington Island

Mr Meyer said the butcher shop – which his father has been operating for about 40 years – kept their meats cheaper, and made up for the lost costs through other grocery items.

Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Craig Crawford said he had met with Cr Yanner and had advocated on his behalf.

“Meaghan Scanlon as Ministerial Champion for Mornington Island is expected to travel there within the next fortnight to speak with the local community first hand,” he said.

“We’re willing to listen to any ideas and consider them on their merits to ensure they get better outcomes for members of the Mornington Island community.

“I note members of the federal government have previously ruled out direct subsidies.

“Any action taken needs to be carefully considered to ensure any savings are passed on to members of the community.

“I’d urge the federal Treasurer to follow the first recommendation of the Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs and direct the ACCC to examine grocery prices in remote community stores.”

State Member for Traeger Robbie Katter, whose electorate includes Mornington Island, said the cost of groceries was one of the biggest issues he heard from constituents living in the community – as well as in Doomadgee.

He said “you’d have to hope” that bringing down the cost of foods would improve health outcomes on Mornington Island.

Prices from local shop on Mornington Island

“There’s probably a number of options to bring those prices down, even if it’s a direct subsidy – I think there would be a strong argument that could help bring the other health costs down,” Mr Katter said.

Dr Megan Ferguson, who has never been to Mornington Island but researches public health in remote Aboriginal communities, said high food prices combined with a population living in poverty often causes food insecurity.

“That leads to malnutrition in all of its forms, so underweight but also poor quality diet leading to overweight and obesity later on in life,” she said.

“Then of course those things lead to the health conditions that we see, so the higher rates of diabetes, heart disease.”

Dr Ferguson said subsidies from government were among a raft of measures that could combat high food costs in remote communities. “Addressing the food price inequity in some way is a useful step, whether through government subsidy or assistance from major supermarkets in playing a role, so that the cost of the food to the store before they sell it onto the customer is lower in the first place,” she said.

“The other side of the equation is if we could do something about income in the first place.”

Dr Ferguson said it was unclear the best way to deliver a subsidy, in part where it originated from, and whether it was better to provide it through subsiding the store or to the consumer directly.

Prices from local shop on Mornington Island