Torres Strait resident Tomisina Ahwong said she paid $15.60 for half a bunch of celery
The cost of living is hurting everyone but spare a thought to those in the Queensland community where a cabbage costs $18kg, half a bunch of celery is over $15 and there’s only one shop in town.
Cairns
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If you reckon fruit and vegetables are expensive in your local supermarket, spare a thought for those living the Torres Strait where the cost of fresh food can be up to 10 times the price of those in urban centres.
According to Hammond (Kirriri) Island resident Tomisina Ahwong, she recently paid $15.60 for half a bunch of celery.
“The half bunch had just five stalks of celery,” Ms Ahwong said.
“It’s not only food, fuel has been $3 a litre here since January 1, 2022.”
A receipt which Ms Ahwong kept from January 1, 2023, showed red capsicum at $24/kg, a 250g packet of vermicelli costing $6.20, and cabbage priced at $18/kg.
At a major supermarket in Cairns, the same amount of vermicelli costs between $1.90 to $2.20.
“We have one little private shop on the island,” Ms Ahwong said.
Earlier this month, State MP for Cook Cynthia Lui said the Cost of Living summit which was held on Thursday Island on Monday must find solutions for residents in the Torres Strait who faced “three times” the pressures rest of Queensland experiences.
Meanwhile, a resident on Thursday Island who spoke with the Cairns Post on the condition of anonymity, said fresh food at the shops was consistently, “expensive and in poor condition”.
The resident said everyday basics such as bread and vegetables were often in short supply.
“I was in the shop the other day and there was one wrinkled tomato on the shelf,” she said.
“Often when you buy fresh vegetables they don’t last a day when you get them home even in the fridge”.
However, according to the IBIS supermarkets run by Community Enterprise Queensland (CEQ) their current online specials available between March 13-26, included (prices from Woolworths Cairns follow) Western Star butter 500g for $8.68 ($7.50), Spam 340g $7.95 ($6.30), Mission Wraps 8 pack $6.92 ($5.50) and beef stir-fry at $25.99kg ($24.99).
The Cost of Living Summit was called after a meeting of state government cabinet on Thursday Island in September 2022.
Ahead of the summit on Monday, the government announced an $80m joint commitment with the federal government to overhaul marine infrastructure across the Torres Strait.
As the summit convened, a further $64m freight funding package was announced by the state government in a bid to ease cost of living pressures for families in the Northern Peninsula, Torres Strait, Cape York and Gulf regions.
The M&M Mini Mart on Hammond Island was contacted for comment.
The Torres Strait Island Regional Council was contacted for comment.
If you live in a remote part of the Far North, contact us to share how the cost of living impacts your community – alison.paterson@news.com.au
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Originally published as Torres Strait resident Tomisina Ahwong said she paid $15.60 for half a bunch of celery
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