FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          21 June 2002

Media Release

Children of the outback are hungry - a fact supported recently by Dr. Matthew Wright, a medical officer for the Docker River community, in the Northern Territory (The Australian, May 22, 2002). It would seem the main reason for their hunger is the poor value of the food dollar in outback communities.

With government authorities currently intently focused on equity for all Australians, perhaps strategies for reducing the enormous difference in the cost of staple food items between metropolitan and rural and remote regions needs to be high on the agenda.

This is not a new issue for the Australian population - it is just one that is proving difficult to remedy. Some positive strategies have been put in place in some communities which are helping to correct the balance, but we have a long way to go before food security for the nation as a whole is achieved. Several communities in the Northern Territory, northern Queensland and other regions have established successful community market gardens which make available better quality vegetables and fruit at more affordable prices. This is a major step towards better equity in food availability.