Cost of food above inflation in Northern Territory, report reveals
The cost of food in Darwin is rising faster than the national average and inflation, putting financial stress on families across the Top End, according to a major advocacy group.
A report by the Northern Territory Council of Social Service (NTCOSS) found the average weekly food bill in Darwin was $232, which rose 3.9 per cent last year.
But the prices in Darwin were nothing compared to remote parts of the NT.
Households in remote parts of the Territory paid more than double for exactly the same food as those in the metropolitan areas.
The NTCOSS report revealed remote households spent about 34 per cent of their weekly income on food compared to 23 per cent for a household in Darwin.
But it was not just about freight costs, with the report showing the price of a basket of groceries at a small corner shop was the same as a remote community shop.
NTCOSS's Jonathon Pilbrow said the stark differences in price cannot be explained by transport and freight costs and an investigation is needed.
"We're calling on the NT Government and key stakeholders to come together and to look at the price disparity between remote and urban centres to look at what can be done to bring those prices down," he said.
He said the high cost of food was putting pressure on people across the Territory.
"Clearly food is something that you simply can't go without, so then people are forced to make other difficult choices and might mean they aren't able to pay their power bill of or can't get another power card for their pre-paid metres, so that creates a whole food security issue, if the fridge stops running," he said.
Mr Pilbrow called for a summit on the price of food along the lines of a recent meeting to discuss fuel prices.
"Food is a critical ... it's vital for people's health and wellbeing and we think this presents a similar opportunity for key stakeholders to come together and try to address this," he said.
"We're calling on the NT Government and key stakeholders to come together and to look at the price disparity between remote and urban centres to look at what can be done to bring those prices down."
Food prices 50pc more in remote parts of the Territory
The report revealed some bad news for people living in remote parts of the Territory.
Households which depended on remote stores for food were spending more than one third of their income to feed themselves and paying 50 per cent more than Darwin households.
A standard food basket was priced in shops across the NT, which would provide food for a family of six for two weeks.
The food basket in remote stores was 49 per cent more expensive than in Darwin.
But there was also regional variation, with the Barkly being the least expensive at $752 and Alice Springs corner stores being the most expensive at $794.
It was much cheaper in the major supermarkets of regional centres, at an average of $556.
Between 2000 and 2013 the cost of the standard food basket in remote stores increased by a staggering 53 per cent from $511 to $782.
The cost of the basket of food in bigger regional centres went up 44 per cent from $383 and $553.
But there was some good news for people relying on remote shops.
There was a great variety of fresh fruit and vegetables reported and 80 per cent were rated as good quality.
And 94 per cent of items in the food basket were usually available in the remote shops.
The price of healthier food items also increased less than the average price increases while unhealthier items went up more.
