- Improving access to healthy, affordable food in regional communities
- Local Food Action Groups to lead community solutions
- Healthway funding supporting a pilot initiative
The Cook Labor Government is investing $538,318 in a pilot project to help communities in the Great Southern and Southern Wheatbelt access healthier, affordable, and locally available food.
With support from Healthway, Amity Health will partner with local, Aboriginal community leaders, government, and food retail and relief partners to establish community-led Food Action Groups in the South West region
Over the next three years, these groups will develop local food action plans that set shared priorities and guide community action to improve food access now and into the future.
As part of the pilot, at least three major community initiatives will be delivered in Narrogin, Katanning, Kojonup, Broomehill-Tambellup, and Gnowangerup. These initiatives will boost local food access, deliver nutrition, cooking and gardening programs, improve public food procurement, and build local skills and capacity
This Amity Health project builds on outcomes of the Healthway-funded Food Community project, led by Edith Cowan University (ECU), which developed a clear, State-wide map of food security initiatives across WA, highlighting what programs exist, where they operate, and how organisations are working together.
In this next phase, Amity Health will partner with ECU to deliver locally led Food Action Groups, which were identified through the Food Community project as a key step in improving food access.
Amity Health is a trusted place-based, not-for-profit supporting the health and wellbeing of people living in regional WA. It builds on its strong local relationships and regional presence to deliver sustainable, community-led impact.
Healthway is a State Government agency dedicated to health promotion and preventative health. For more information and to find out how to apply, visit www.healthway.wa.gov.au .
As stated by Preventative Health Minister Sabine Winton:
"We know that a healthy diet is the foundation of good health and wellbeing, supporting both physical and mental health.
"Everyone deserves access to healthy, affordable food no matter where they live.
"When local communities are supported to come together, share ideas, and work alongside one another, they can create practical solutions that lead to healthier outcomes for everyone.
"By putting regional communities, partnerships, and local priorities at the centre, this pilot will drive lasting improvements in food access and wellbeing in regional Western Australia."
