Community Events

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (15:47): I rise today to speak about a number of events and initiatives, both in my southern community and beyond. The first is the Think. Eat. Save event that I had the pleasure of speaking at and attending on the Monday before last. It is an event that I take pleasure in attending each year, together with our Lord Mayor and many community members. It is an event that happens in communities right across the country, and it is an event that gives thousands of community members an opportunity to better understand what the wonderful organisation OzHarvest does to nourish and feed our community, to reduce food waste and to provide great food to those who need a hand.

Like many people in our South Australian community, I grew up in a household where money was often scarce, and my mum was and is literally an expert in turning every single leftover piece of food into something new that fed our entire family. I did not always love this as a kid; in fact, sometimes I really disliked it, but I have come to absolutely admire it and to know that she loves the work of OzHarvest and could also share a few tips with them.

Think. Eat. Save is an incredibly important community initiative run by an organisation and big-hearted people that make a profound difference in communities right across our country, an initiative that positively encourages us all rightly to reduce our waste and to consider how excess and unwanted food can be provided to our more vulnerable community members. Events like this and OzHarvest itself deliver results in so many ways. The first is probably the most important—OzHarvest feeds people, and there is, of course, enormous value in that alone.

A shared meal elevates eating to a family and community ritual. Feeding people is a simple, yet profoundly human, act of generosity and we honour that act at the Think. Eat. Save event where the many people there enjoyed delicious leftover food made into stunning meals by a number of our most loved South Australian chefs. Chefs who also spoke—as did Karena from the Salopian Inn, in McLaren Vale—about how they reduce food waste at their restaurants and how they ensure that every bit of their freshly grown produce is used.

Secondly, OzHarvest helps to reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill thereby reducing the amount of greenhouse gases entering our atmosphere. Thirdly, by reducing landfill costs to restaurants, markets and large food organisations, our economy benefits greatly, given that millions of dollars are currently lost through food waste, and our precious lovely food is used and enjoyed as it should be.

Here in our South Australian community, OzHarvest achieves all those results with their fleet of food rescue vans, which source excess food from restaurant and cafes, or imperfect food from growers and supermarkets that would struggle to sell on shelves. After collection, food is provided to many charitable organisations across our state that distribute to those in need.

Our South Australian Labor government is a proud sponsor of OzHarvest and the food rescue and relief sector, having awarded a number of grants over the past few years to help expand their operations to reach even further into our communities. I know the difference that these food rescue vans and this distribution make in our southern community with their deliveries to a number of local community organisations and also to high schools in our area.

There is still a long road ahead. Food waste is a huge concern and costs our Australian economy in excess of an estimated $10 billion per annum and, sadly, an estimated two million Australians rely on food relief agencies just to get by. OzHarvest provide such a simple solution to a series of complex problems, and they do so through an exemplary team of generous, big-hearted staff and volunteers. Thank you to every one of those OzHarvest staff members and volunteers whose passion for our community and our environment makes a real difference to South Australians and to future generations.

In the short time I have left, I will speak briefly about another incredible community organisation that is directly improving the lives of women living in my electorate of Reynell, Share the Dignity, which is run by the amazing Rochelle Courtenay, together with other organisations, including the outstanding team at Essentials for Women SA, ably led by Amy Rust and her group of volunteers, to ensure that women who are homeless or at risk are able to access sanitary products with dignity.

I was delighted to recently attend the launch of the Share the Dignity vending machine at the Hackham West Community Centre. Share the Dignity has the admirable mission to ensure that no woman should suffer the indignity of going without sanitary items, regardless of her financial situation. It is tragic to hear stories of women who are unable to access sanitary products and struggle to remain hygienic and keep their dignity. For vulnerable or at-risk women, Share the Dignity services are life transforming.