The Central Coast is looking to reduce and rescue surplus food that is being sent to landfill, and councils and food relief agencies have received a boost through the ability to now apply for a share in $2 million.
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The new grants, announced on November 3 by Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast Scot MacDonald, will be available in $200,000 packages for applicants.
The grants will then be applied over two years, with the aim to support projects that can raise awareness on food rescue, or are currently improving education on the topic.
Scot MacDonald visited the Lakes Food Care organisation from the Toukley Neighbourhood Centre in conjunction with the $2 million grant announcement, and believes that local foodbank services like the Lakes group is vital to the community.
The Lakes Food Care group is run by volunteers and sources excess stocks from local stores to give to those that are in need.
“Organisations such as Toukley Neighbourhood Centre are the types of community groups that might benefit from these grants,” Mr MacDonald said.
The newly instated grant was also supported by environment minister Gabrielle Upton, who said the grants would go a long way to making sure food isn’t wasted when it could be used somewhere else.
“These grants will ultimately lead to less good quality food going in landfill and instead the food will go to people in need,” Ms Upton said.
Applications are open until November 22, 2017. For more information, visit epa.nsw.gov.au/working-together/grants/organics-infrastructure-fund.