As petrol prices have climbed amid global conflict and our national cost-of-living crisis deepens, many Ausies are beginning to feel the pinch in everyday life. While the full impact on food relief services in the Illawarra may not have hit just yet, organisations across our region’s food rescue and relief sector are watching the situation closely and expecting a surge in demand in the coming months.
Food rescue relies heavily on transport. Every supermarket pickup and delivery to community organisations requires vehicles on the road, so when petrol rose sharply it placed added pressure on a system already working hard to keep up with growing need. Interestingly, responses from food relief organisations across the region have varied. Some say they are already seeing demand increase, which has been happening since the cost of living began escalating a few years ago, while others say they expect the real impact to emerge over the coming months the longer the conflict goes on.
National food rescue organisation SecondBite, one of our food rescue partners for our Illawarra Food Rescue & Relief project, recently released research showing that 94% of Australians are concerned about rising living costs over the next six months, with food now ranked as the number one cost concern for 62% of people.
“Right now, more Australians are being forced to choose between putting petrol in the car and putting food on the table,” said SecondBite CEO Daniel Moorfield.
The organisation’s charity partners, including community centres, schools, churches and shelters, have also reported seeing more people seeking support for the first time. According to SecondBite’s survey, 57% of the population said petrol or transport costs had already affected their ability to access food.
At the same time, some organisations say they have been able to soften the immediate impact through partnerships and planning. OzHarvest NSW Food Rescue Engagement Coordinator Nicole Ball said the organisation is fortunate to have support through its partnership with BP. While they’re not currently seeing disruptions to daily runs, Ball said the organisation is still preparing for potential future challenges and is working alongside government to plan ahead if fuel shortages or rationing become an issue. They’re also investigating Fuel Tax Credit eligibility for the food relief sector and continuing to explore electric vehicle options as technology improves.
While many Illawarra organisations in our Food Rescue & Relief Working Group say demand hasn’t dramatically increased yet, there is a shared sense that the coming months may place greater pressure on both households and the services supporting them.
