Coalition pledge to chip in for new Foodbank hub

LEADER of the Nationals Peter Walsh last week promised $1.5 million in funding to assist the partnership between The Ballarat Foundation and Foodbank Victoria to help build a food distribution centre in the Ballarat West Employment Zone.

This funding will secure delivery of stage one of the project.

The total cost for stage one is $3.5 million which will cover the purchase of the land and the construction and fit out of the food hub.

The Ballarat Foundation CEO Matt Jenkins said the project is very much alive but it does need a boost from government to make it a reality.

Foodbank, the largest non-profit food distribution network in the state, provides critical support to vulnerable Victorians, with more than 8 million kilograms of food distributed in 2016-17, the equivalent of putting more than 14 million meals on tables for people in need.

The Ballarat Foundation, established by the Board of United Way Ballarat in 2001, exists to make a positive and lasting difference to people in the Ballarat region, which has needs which are not being met through other funding sources.

Mr Walsh said a 45 per cent increase in the amount of food coming into the Ballarat region from Foodbank’s Melbourne centre over the last three years validates the desperate need for the new infrastructure.

Member for Ripon Louise Staley said this Foodbank distribution hub will be transformative for the 12 per cent of people in Ballarat suffering from food insecurity.

“It will help to relieve pressure on local charities, providing a space to source, store, and distribute food more efficiently to people in need in the community,” said Ms Staley.

Liberal candidate for Wendouree Amy Johnson said the centre will make sure families and local residents who need this service can get assistance close to home.

“We need to make sure people who need support in our community can get it,” said Ms Johnson.

The Ballarat Foundation chair Wayne Weire said the initial construction on the 1.4-hectare site will be a distribution centre providing non-perishable, chilled, frozen and fresh food capable of handling deliveries from B-doubles.

“While the project has received support at both federal and state level, to have one group today say we will support this with funding – that is a huge thing,” said Mr Weire.