Bannister Downs Dairy will make a weekly donation of fresh milk to Foodbank WA’s Centre for Hunger Relief at Perth Airport to be distributed to all branches across Western Australia.
Hancock Prospecting's partnership with Bannister Downs Dairy has provided milk donations to the state's south-west through Foodbank WA’s Bunbury branch for several years.
With the holiday season upon us and sharp increases in the cost of living, more families require support to meet their basic food needs.
The Foodbank Hunger Report 2023 highlighted the reality of food stress in WA as the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact. The report states that 388,000 households in WA are experiencing moderate to severe food stress, half of which have children at home.
“We are experiencing unprecedented demand for food relief in the lead up to Christmas," Foodbank WA CEO Kate O’Hara said.
"With each interest rate rise we see more and more people reach out for help. We could not support those who rely on us without the support of generous food donors like Bannister Downs Dairy, particularly given the demand we have for milk.”
Hancock Agriculture executive chairman and Bannister Downs Dairy part-owner, Gina Rinehart, and Bannister Downs Dairy managing director, Sue Daubney, visited Foodbank WA’s Centre for Hunger Relief to make the offer of increased supplies.
“It is increasingly concerning that so many families and children do not have access to food basics. We are pleased that we can extend our support ... to support the important work Foodbank is doing across the state,” Ms Daubney said.
The ability to provide nutritious and healthy food is vital to supporting people struggling to put food on the table, Ms O'Hara said.
In addition to the Bannister partnership, iron ore company Roy Hill, majority owned by Hancock Prospecting and chaired by Mrs Rinehart, has supported Foodbank WA since 2020 through emergency relief hampers provided to Pilbara families, and is in discussions on an initiative for the region.
"As Foodbank WA CEO Kate O’Hara clearly says, with each interest rate rise, more and more people are finding it difficult to cope, so more than our milk is of course needed, in these difficult times with costs escalating," Mrs Rinehart said.
