THE RAILWAY HOTEL Cost pressures push food bank demand

JOHN Little was making a weekly trip to Bendigo Foodshare for supplies to re-stock shelves at two Loddon relief agencies.

That was until last year when demand outgrew the capacity of John’s utility and attached trailer.

Now a Bendigo Foodshare truck makes a delivery to Inglewood, one of six stops in Loddon communities for the central Victorian agency.

“Demand at Inglewood and Bridgewater for assistance has more than tripled in the last six months,” said community kitchen co-ordinator Faye Orange who oversees distribution in the two towns and is also assisting with the trial of a foodbank in Korong Vale.

Faye and John are making sure good stocks are on hand at foodbanks in the towns - the delivery from Bendigo and local donations.

“A lot of the food comes to Bendigo Foodshare and we have local people drop-

MONDAY - OPEN 4.00PM NO DINNER

TUESDAY - OPEN 4.00PM

DINNER FROM 6.00PM PARMA NIGHT

WEDNESDAY - OPEN 4.00PM

THURSDAY - OPEN 4.00PM

SATURDAY - OPEN 4.00PM ping off donations, sometimes fresh produce from their gardens,” said Faye.

Bendigo Foodshare chief executive officer Michelle Murphy said demand for relief food and household supplies had continued to rise since the start of COVID more than two years ago.

“People are experiencing pressures they have never experienced before,” she said.

“People are still impacted by COVID and the floods and the surge in cost of living.

“All these pressures are putting more families into food poverty.”

Michelle said COVID had sparked a 40 per cent increase in demand but that had been outstripped with a 65 per cent jump across Victoria in the past six weeks.

“Many of the people seeking help are employed. There’s a disproportionate percentage of sole parents,” she said.

Bendigo Foodshare is making fortnightly deliveries to Pyramid Hill, Boort, Inglewood and Dunolly - three pallets of food to each community for distribution - as Michelle says the story is the same across central Victoria: “People are really struggling.”

Michelle said Bendigo Foodshare had received flood recovery funding to assist with buying and delivering food across the region.

“These funds have now finished and we have concerns that we will be able to maintain that capacity (for distribution) in coming months as demand is increasing,” she said.

“We are working hard to make sure we can stretch every dollar.”

Foodshare also has food relief partnerships with Wedderburn Community House and East Loddon P12 College and Pyramid Hill College.

They are among 73 kindergartens, schools and groups supported by Bendigo Foodshare in central and northern Victoria

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Pool retention a top priority in community plan

IMPROVEMENTS and retention of Mitiamo’s swimming pool have been listed a top priority in the town’s new community plan.

Progress association officials Tracey Cox and Catriona Freeman last week briefed Loddon Shire on community aspirations for the next decade.

The association wants swimming pool opening hours retained, upgraded lighting and toilet facilities at the 60-year-old pool.

A call has also been made for upgraded drainage and maintenance at the corner of Haig Street and Echuca-Mitiamo Road, Mitiamo-Kerang Road and the corner of Patrick Street and Echuca-Mitiamo Road.

Tracey said: “After heavy rains, the gutters of Glossop Street are full of stag- nant water for weeks which is a potential health hazard.”

A high priority under the plan is given to widening the sealed section of Joffre Street used by trucks delivering to the GrainCorp silos.

“Large trucks and other vehicle movement creates dust and is a potential health and safety risk,” the progress association said.

“There is a high risk of vehicle accidents due to shop business customer parking.”

Loddon Shire has also been asked to support community calls for better telecommunications connectivity.

“Our aim is to obtain better phone and internet coverage and improve the capacity of our residents and businesses to use technology,” Tracey said.

Improved water supply, town signage renewal, and maintenance of the town hall, now headquarters for East Loddon Historical Society have also been listed as high priorities under the new community plans.