Hungry Tasmanians reach out to charities after report find surge in food insecurity

Many Tasmanians are making sacrifices to get food on the table, with a Hobart charity saying they’ve seen a rise in families struggling to cope.

Photo of Foodbank workers loading boxes with food Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

More than a third of Tasmanian households are experiencing food insecurity, and those in the regions are feeling the pinch more than their metropolitan counterparts.

That is according to Foodbank Australia’s Hunger Report for 2024, which also found that the number of nationally low-income households – classed as those earning less than $30,000 per year – has increased to 48 per cent.

In Tasmania, the data suggests that 36 per cent of households are experiencing food insecurity.

That figure increases to 40 per cent for the regions, compared to 30 per cent of households in Tasmania’s larger population centres struggling to put food on the table.

The Foodbank Hunger Report also found that 53 per cent of people experiencing insecurity in Tasmania were classified at the most extreme level.

Team member, Laura MacKean in the stock room at Hobart City Mission. Picture: Linda Higginson

Hobart City Mission Emergency Relief and Administration Program Leader Charlotte Ryan said she was not surprised by the statistics.

“We have seen a 60 per cent increase this financial year compared to last financial year with people accessing our Huonville and Sorrell regional food vans,” Ms Ryan said.

“There’s been a 51 per cent increase in people coming and needing assistance with food; that’s just at our Hobart and Moonah offices.

“And the Christmas assistance program that we had last year, we assisted 1500 people with Christmas assistance, and we’re expecting that to increase this year.

“People are definitely feeling the pinch in terms of food insecurity.”

Ms Ryan said the feedback she received from people using Hobart City Mission’s services was the general cost of living was hurting them.

“We also have people that are having issues with the job market and finding secure work.

“We’re seeing an increase in working families, so people are having difficulty paying the mortgage.”

The rising cost of medical bills was also something Ms Ryan said was a factor behind the increasing number of people seeking help.

“We’re seeing a lot of elderly people with chronic health conditions having issues with medical costs.”

Brianna Casey, chief executive of the Foodbank charity. Picture – Supplied

At a national level, Foodbank Australia CEO Brianna Casey said she was highly concerned with the results of its Hunger Report 2024.

“We warned at the beginning of the cost-of-living crisis that low-income households were always going to suffer first, worst and for the longest, and these findings confirm this,” Ms Casey said.

“We are seeing families that were just getting by, now reaching their limits and making unimaginable choices.

“Unsurprisingly, people are being forced to cut back on the most basic of essentials, nutritious food, because of the combination of higher costs of housing and essential goods, particularly food and utilities, while wages fail to keep pace – all of which are entirely outside of the control of most Australian households.”

Ms Casey said she expected her organisation to experience increased demand.

“We know it’s going to take months, if not years, for many families to bounce back.

“We will continue to wrap our arms around our communities for as long as it takes, doing our

bit to help nutritious, culturally appropriate food get to as many struggling households as

possible.”

Originally published as Hungry Tasmanians reach out to charities after report find surge in food insecurity