Turbans4Australia, Zammit Ham & Bacon Curers Pendle Hill score government funding
From charities helping society’s most vulnerable to businesses aiming to go green, funding has been pledged for food organisations and manufacturing hubs a week shy of the federal election.
NSW
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Food businesses and organisations in the Parramatta electorate including Turbans4Australia, Zammit Ham & Bacon Curers at Pendle Hill and Gelatissimo Manufacturing at Rydalmere have been promised funding if the Liberals win the election.
Clyde’s Turbans4Australia, run by up to 100 volunteers, has been promised $250,000 towards the completion of a commercial kitchen that will enable the group to churn out hot meals at its Martha St base.
During the pandemic, 1500 hampers with non-perishable food was being dispensed between the inner city and Penrith each week. While numbers have dropped to 400, Turbans4Australia president Amar Singh said demand was still high for food relief.
“It’s very essential,’’ he said.
“We serve the most vulnerable in the community. For people to line up outside our centre on Sunday morning to get a hamper, it’s really terrifying actually.’’
Since the start of the devastating floods, 170 pallets stuffed with cereals and non-perishable food have been sent to Lismore.
Mr Singh hopes to expand the seven-year-old charity by encouraging students to visit and enlisting the help of Corrective Services to send inmates on day release to help.
Turbans4Australia has handed out over 150,000 tonnes of groceries to those in need since it started and benefited locals along with victims of bushfires and floods.
The funding boost will be on top of $75,000 allocated from Granville state Labor MP Julia Finn.
The Hindu Council of Australia was also promised $250,000 for upgrades to its kitchen and dining hall, so it can expand its Karma Kitchen program.
Similar to Turbans4Australia, the charity was formed in 2015 and serves freshly cooked vegetarian meals to the homeless and elderly.
Since it began, volunteers have distributed 20,000 meals, blankets, provided temporary accommodation and supported families across Sydney throughout the pandemic.
Parramatta federal Liberal candidate Maria Kovacic praised Karma Kitchen as an asset to Australia with more than 1000 volunteers across the nation.
“This is an organisation that has helped hundreds of Australians in their time of need,” Ms Kovacic said.
“I know the last few years have been particularly challenging for all Australians, and the wonderful work the council are doing here in western Sydney, is providing real support to our community.’’
Four food and beverage manufacturers have also been promised grants of $25,000 each so they can cut their energy costs.
Funding for Zammit Ham & Bacon Curers, Henry Huy Bakery, Pendle Dairy Cheese and Gelatissimo Manufacturing at Rydalmere will help lower their energy bills and reduce emissions by upgrading to more energy efficient appliances including refrigeration, carrying out energy audits and installing energy monitoring equipment.
Under the food and beverage round of the “energy efficient communities program’’ Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor said the grants would help businesses rebound from the pandemic by reducing overheads such as energy.
“This investment by the Morrison Government could amount to significant savings for these Parramatta businesses making a noticeable difference to their bottom line,” Mr Taylor said.
“The food and beverage industry underpins a stronger western Sydney economy and we are backing businesses to be more competitive through these grants to lower their power costs, putting more money back in their pockets and supporting the creation of new jobs in the Parramatta region.”
The grants program opened in January for grants of between $10,000 and $25,000 available to food and beverage manufacturing businesses with under 200 employees.
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