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Budget 2022-23
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DELIVERING OUR FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY

Nic Street MP, Minister for Community Services and Development

The 2022-23 Tasmanian Budget is delivering on the Tasmanian Liberal Government’s commitment to ensure all Tasmanians have access to healthy and nutritious food.

Through our food mapping data and consultation with groups representing the food relief sector, Tasmania’s first-ever Food Security Strategy has set out our direction for implementing PESRAC’s Interim and Final Report recommendations in this vital area.

While we finalise our Action Plan from this strategy, we are kick-starting initiatives to help ensure all Tasmanians can learn about and access healthy, nutritious food wherever they may live.

This includes a Tasmanian-first, Community Garden Grants Program, which acknowledges the important health and wellbeing benefits associated with community gardens and also increasing the knowledge and capacity of individuals and communities towards self-sufficiency.

Funding in this year’s Budget of $300,000 will directly support the following:

  • A community food pilot program across three sites including regional and remote areas;
  • A new Community Garden Grants Program; and
  • Addressing gaps in connectivity, resources and education to support individuals and organisations to become more food secure.

While we are building community and individual resilience, we also understand that some people will continue to need direct assistance, and food relief provides a critical opportunity to connect Tasmanians to services that address the circumstances that lead to food insecurity.

The new Action Plan funding is on top of our previous 2021 increase in emergency food relief funding to $3 million over 3 years, with continued base funding for critical food distributors, including Foodbank Tasmania and Loaves and Fishes, as well as increased funding for Gran’s Van, Loui’s Van and Mission Beat to serve our community.

Our investments represent significant increases in support for Tasmanians in need across our state, totalling well over $10 million since 2018.

The Tasmanian Government will continue working with all organisations funded to provide food relief to those in need, working alongside TasCOSS to ensure these organisations are linked up and informed.

This Budget is about making Tasmanians’ priorities our priorities, as we are a Government with integrity and heart, one that is courageous, accountable and delivers on its commitments.