Securing Food and Other Essentials for Remote Communities

Apunipima Cape York Health Council welcomes Hon. Ken Wyatt’s assurances last week that ensuring a reliable supply of essential goods, groceries, pharmaceuticals and other critical supplies to remote communities during the current COVID-19 pandemic is a high priority for the Australian government.

Across Australia, we’ve been asked not to stockpile so that everyone is looked after and that those who are most disadvantaged such as people on low incomes, elderly people, and people with disabilities don’t miss out. Equally, we need to ensure that stores in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and other remote areas will still have fair access to wholesale supplies so that people living in these locations don’t miss out.

In this current climate of COVID-19 it is essential that remote communities are not left behind and that Government and manufacturers remain committed to ensuring that consistent stock is secured for remote communities. The remoteness of Cape York and other similarly isolated regions already presents significant challenges for people to access nutritious foods and consume a diet that supports good health. It is more important than ever to ensure a nutritious diet is available through this pandemic to help keep our people strong.

Apunipima Cape York Health Council is the community controlled Aboriginal Health Organisation responsible for delivering high quality, culturally appropriate comprehensive primary health care to 11 Cape York communities in Far North Queensland.