Vinnies welcomes Tasmanian Government’s $5m cost of living boost.

The St Vincent de Paul Society has welcomed the Tasmanian Government’s $5 million cost-of-living booster package, saying that it could not have come at more necessary and critical time.

St Vincent de Paul Society Acting CEO, Dr Les Baxter, said that the organisation is already discussing the most expedient way to distribute these funds through its Emergency Relief services to the most disadvantaged families and people across Tasmania.

“The Society’s understanding from government advice is that the $5m cost of living booster package will mean an additional one-off payment of over $300,000 in Funding Assisting Programme for Vinnies, which we will put to work helping people immediately. We will also receive an uplift in indexation, which offers us a further three percent to existing state government grants, over the next 12 months,” Dr Baxter said.

“The Society has been inundated in recent weeks with calls for assistance. More people than ever are in need of assistance with everything from utility bills to food for their families. It is absolutely heart-breaking.

“Hundreds of Tasmanians across the state are suffering fuel and food poverty at the coldest time of the year. We are doing our best, but we desperately needed more money. This windfall $300,000 funding from the Tasmanian Government represents much-needed money to buy food, pay electricity bills, and subsidise fuel costs.

“It is estimated that 120,000 Tasmanians are now living in poverty, a fact supported by the number of meals served on our food vans – over 20,000 last year alone. There has also been a high demand on our pantries as a steady stream of people – many of them families in need for the first time – knock on Vinnies’ door looking for food or warm clothing, mostly for their children. This additional funding will assist many disadvantaged Tasmanians.

“All told, the Tasmanian Government has distributed $1 million in additional support for the Family Assistance Program, allowing the St Vincent De Paul Society and other charities to extend more support to vulnerable Tasmanians. This represents a doubling of current funding for the next twelve months.

“The Society is particularly relieved that the Tasmanian Government has announced an additional $1m to Aurora Energy for its hardship program. This will provide assistance to families experiencing financial difficulty paying utility bills, due in part to the recent hike in electricity prices of 11.88 per cent, is critical. No Tasmanian should be forced to make the decision to heat their home or cook a hot meal in the middle of winter.

“Only yesterday, Vinnies opened discussions with Loaves & Fishes to work out a way to increase the number of meals we could deliver to the homeless and families who are going hungry at least one day every week. The announcement of $500,000 of additional funding for emergency food relief to providers like Foodbank Tasmania, and Loaves & Fishes to help purchase and distribute food, is welcome.

“The St Vincent de Paul Society anticipates receiving the funding sometime this week; and by this time next week, it will be put to work supporting people in need. We are exceedingly grateful to the Tasmanian Government for this additional funding. Every cent will be used to help Tasmanians in need,” Dr Baxter said.

MEDIA NOTES: The St Vincent de Paul Society was founded in Paris, France in 1833 by a 20-year old Italian student, Frederic Ozanam. Today, the Society operates in 153 countries and has over 800,000 members. Australia has over 60,000 members, dedicated to assisting people in need and combating social injustice. The Society started in Tasmania in 1899 when founders established a Conference in Launceston. From humble beginnings, the Society has grown to 25 Conferences within three Regional Councils across Tasmania. Each Conference undertake a variety of good works, the most recognised being the traditional Vincentian home visits and the annual CEO Sleep-out to draw attention to homelessness.

_{Media contact, Mark Wells: +61 414 015 966 (24-hours)
© St Vincent de Paul Society and MWPA.}