Merri-bek City Council narrowly voted against a proposal on June 23 to support a bid for Nourishing Neighbours, a 100%聽volunteer-run emergency food relief organisation, to expand its operation.
Nourishing Neighbours is currently in temporary accommodation and its lease will expire early next January. There is no possibility of extending聽this lease. Last December, it was granted a lease on the former Pigeon Club, in James Martin Reserve, Hadfield. However, this venue is considerably smaller than its current venue.
Nourishing Neighbours thought council had agreed to extend the premise,聽by providing a portable building, enabling it to store its dry food and fridges. When it became known that council was only allocating fund to refurbish the building, Nourishing Neighbours asked for $400,000 to fund the building extension they needed.
Some councillors who disagreed with the extension said it is the state government鈥檚 responsibility, However, as Socialist Alliance Merri-bek Councillor Sue Bolton told 91自拍论坛, 鈥淣o government, federal, state or council, assists organisations like Nourishing Neighbours with venues from which to distribute relief鈥.
鈥淭he two emergency food relief organisations in Merri-bek, founded in 2020 during the COVID-19 crisis, Nourishing Neighbours and Muslim Women鈥檚 Council of Victoria are 100% volunteer run and do not receive funding from either state or federal governments,鈥 Bolton said.
鈥淒espite this, government-funded organisations with paid staff, such as the Salvation Army, often refer clients to Nourishing Neighbours and Muslim Women's Council for food relief. It is unacceptable that both of these organisations have precarious accommodation.鈥
The cost of living crisis is devastating the lives of the poorest people and now even reaching the middle class. Social workers have been writing to councillors to explain how vital Nourishing Neighbours has been and without this new extension, Nourishing Neighbours will not be able to provide the relief that is so desperately needed.
鈥淭here is a need in the Merri-bek community for council, and other levels of government, must respond to, but have thus far failed miserably to do so,鈥 Bolton said.
The five councillors who supported funding for Nourishing Neighbours were: Sue Bolton (Socialist Alliance); Liz Irvin (Greens); Adam Pulford (Greens); Jay Iwasaki (Greens); Ella Svensson (Greens). The six councillors who voted against were: Helen Politis (Labor); Oscar Yildiz (Independent); Helen Davidson (Independent); Chris Miles (Labor); Nat Abboud (Independent) and Katerine Theodosis (Labor).