‘Vital’: MP calls for FoodShare and Med-Con support

By Darren Linton

Feb 10, 2022

Support urged: Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell wants Med-Con to add 30 million masks to the Victorian stockpile. Photo by Rodney Braithwaite

Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell has called on the Victorian Government to provide funding of $600,000 to help deliver a new home for Shepparton FoodShare.

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Speaking during the adjournment debate in state parliament this week, Ms Lovell lauded the recently announced $600,000 commitment from the Federal Government for the new facility and sought a matching funding commitment from Victorian Disability Ageing and Carers Minister Anthony Carbines to make the new home a reality.

“Shepparton FoodShare is a wonderful organisation that plays a vital role in helping the vulnerable and less fortunate members of our community and their work during last year’s COVID-19 outbreak in Greater Shepparton was simply magnificent,” Ms Lovell said.

Ms Lovell has also used the first parliamentary sitting week of the year to renew calls for the government to support local businesses and jobs by purchasing a planned additional 30 million surgical masks from Lemnos mask manufacturer Med-Con.

Ms Lovell said Med-Con was critical to Australia’s initial pandemic response and the company should be preferred over cheaper imported masks.

“After Med-Con stepped up and provided quality surgical masks during the pandemic, the Andrews Labor Government walked away from supporting local jobs by purchasing cheaper imported masks,” she told parliament.

“Med-Con has the capacity to start immediate production on the 30 million surgical masks required.”

By Darren Linton

Shepparton News chief correspondent