Labor’s $6m kitchen garden plan to tackle Australia’s obesity crisis
Thousands of Australian schools will get federal funding for kitchen gardens that help promote healthy eating under a future Labor government.
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AN extra 1200 Australian schools will get federal funding to tackle the nation’s obesity crisis with kitchen gardens if Labor wins the next election.
Its deputy leader Tanya Plibersek will unveil a $6 million commitment to fund the gardens for about 2000 schools today, declaring obesity a “critical public health issue”.
It comes as the latest statistics show one in five toddlers and young children are now overweight.
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News Corp understands Labor will be announcing further plans to tackle the obesity epidemic in the lead up to the election.
About 800 schools across the country which already have kitchen gardens under the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program will also receive federal funding under today’s commitment.
“One in four Australian children is overweight or obese. Without intervention, many of them will become overweight or obese adults,” Ms Plibersek told News Corp.
“This is a national health crisis and poor nutrition is a leading contributor.”
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Under the kitchen garden program, students learn how to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs and how to use them to make healthy food.
Ms Plibersek slammed the Coalition government for cuts to preventative health programs, including a $368 million cut in the 2014 budget under Tony Abbott.
“I would be a fool to claim there’s only one way to tackle obesity but we do need to shift habits,” Ms Alexander told News Corp.
The Aussie chef, who has received the nation’s top honours for her work in food education, said positive experiences like the hands-on kitchen garden could help change kids’ approach to eating.
She welcomed Labor’s funding commitment, saying federal support had been cut off under the Coalition in 2014.
The extra funding will help her kitchen garden foundation provide project officers for schools in disadvantaged areas and extra resources.
Originally published as Labor’s $6m kitchen garden plan to tackle Australia’s obesity crisis