The cost of living has increased more sharply in regional areas than in the cities, with some outback residents paying double for essential goods like food and fuel.
Price monitoring shows living costs have risen more in remote towns than in metropolitan areas.The federal government is about to start public consultation on a national strategy to reduce food costs, which it hopes to have in place early 2025.Maybe a stir-fry for dinner? The sauce costs more than $10, triple what it would at a suburban supermarket.
A comparison with metropolitan costs shows locals are paying twice as much for fuel and some basic food items.For example, a tin of baked beans costs $5.80, compared with the current online price of $2.80 at Coles and Woolworths.Gaambera and Walbi elder Dorothy Djanghara says families regularly run out of money to buy food."Even things like sugar, milk, tea – when you run out, you run out, just can't afford more that week.
Previous government inquiries have concluded the inflated prices are not due to price gouging, but linked to transportation costs, limited storage facilities, and minimal wholesale purchase power compared with major supermarket chains.The latest government data shows the scale of the gap between urban and remote living costs in Australia.
"The strategy aims to address food insecurity and high costs in remote communities," a statement from the National Indigenous Australians Agency says. The idea of subsiding particular food products or freight has been discussed at multiple government inquiries.
Food Fuel Groceries Remote Stores Outback National Strategy For Food Security Indigenous Communities Remote Communities
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