Tuesday, 4 March 2025

 Ryan BATCHELOR (Southern Metropolitan) (12:56): (1409) My question is to the Minister for Carers and Volunteers, and I ask: which organisations in Southern Metropolitan Region are receiving support under the community food relief program? We know that many in the community are doing it tough with cost-of-living pressures. The $4.5 million community food relief program from the Allan Labor government is providing community organisations and their volunteers with support to provide those in the community with that cost-of-living relief. I recently had the pleasure of visiting Chevra Hatzolah, a community first-responder organisation in Caulfield North, which has received a grant to provide food vouchers as part of their emergency response to members of the local community. Traditionally they provide a first aid type response, but obviously what they are seeing in the community is the need to provide a broader range of community responses, and the Allan Labor government is providing funding to support them in that endeavour. We know right across our community that families and individuals are doing it tough, and the Allan Labor government is providing support to help them when they need it.