Elsie Lange
Skyrocketing gas prices as Victoria heads into winter are compounding local anxieties about the cost of living – especially in the state’s coldest areas – and grassroots groups continue to tackle it head on.
The Woodend Community Chest is an initiative helping people around the Macedon Ranges to afford the things they need, from food vouchers, to fuel and bills, thanks to donations from generous locals.
Co-founder Reverend Melissa Clark said she’d already had a number of people reaching out for firewood to heat lower-range rental properties without gas heating.
“We usually deal with just food vouchers, but paying someone’s power bill so that they’ve got heating is part of the help that we can provide too,” Ms Clark said.
Speaking with Star Weekly on the first day of winter, she said the food vouchers she had aside for the day had already been snapped up by people seeking assistance.
“I can’t keep up with the demand, it’s so hard at the moment,” Ms Clark said.
“A couple of people are single parents, someone’s lost their job, and another one is just someone who’s hit struggle street and needs a bit of a boost for now, for whatever reason.
“There’s all sorts of reasons why people are coming to the community chest at the moment, but the increased cost of living is a definite big one.”
Ms Clark said people who “just make it over the line”, are not getting to the end of the fortnight before they are paid again when their money runs out.
Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said “apocalyptic” energy prices threaten “chaos for industry and pain for households” and demand a strategic response.
“Households will feel the punch from higher default electricity prices from July, and more pain is coming for all,” Ms Willox said.
“Short term responses to help vulnerable industry and households will also be needed.
“They should be swift, targeted and have a clear handoff as the benefits of longer term measures are achieved.”
