Huge leap in need for survival help

THE number of Tasmanians struggling for a square meal each day is on the rise, with an extra 18 per cent of the state’s residents accessing food relief over the past year.

Foodbank, which distributes food donations from suppliers to frontline charities, said it was now helping 13,733 Tasmanians access 74,000 meals per month via 149 agencies.

But general manager Sarah Pennell said the organisation would need a 40 per cent rise in donations to meet demand.

TasCOSS acting CEO Nic McBride reinforced the high figures, saying about 120,000 Tasmanians — almost a quarter of the state’s population — were living in poverty or without adequate incomes.

“Each year 5000 Tasmanian households go without meals because of financial stress and nearly 7000 are unable to heat their home,” she said.

“How can it be that in a wealthy country like Australia we are seeing more Tasmanians sleeping rough, unable to afford to go to the doctor, putting off dental work despite severe pain, or going without adequate food and heating over the winter months?”

Hobart Mayor Anna Reynolds, who will launch Anti-Poverty Week in Elizabeth Mall today, said poverty remained a “massive issue”.

“There’s about 70 people sleeping rough in the city on average each night, and there’s about 250 in shelters, then there are a large numbers of people staying with relatives or couch surfing,” she said.

“The problem is the rents are catching up with mainland Australia but the salaries aren’t.”

Ms Reynolds and Ms McBride repeated calls for the Federal Government to raise Newstart and Youth Allowance by at least $75 per week.

The grim figures come as the State Government held its first Housing Ends Homelessness Expo yesterday, attracting more than 1000 people to a showcase of services available to those in need, with the Government promising solutions.

“While this is happening, we’ve got a couple of hundred houses being constructed and we’re planning for more,” Housing Minister Roger Jaensch said.

“In the meantime, we recognise that homelessness and housing stress is not just about the roof over your head but also the services that are available to assist you and to plan your way through homelessness out into independent living again.”