Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not think there would be a member in this House that does not value the role played by Meals on Wheels in our community.Each and every one of us knows that they are a group of volunteers that go to the heart of our community and make the lives of some of the most frail and vulnerable people in our community liveable. They not only deliver nutritious meals but also provide the contact, friendship and happy smiles that are so important to people living on their own. Some of them are confined to their homes, and some of them do not see too many people. That smiling Meals on Wheels person that knocks on the door, brings them in a meal, maybe goes to the microwave and heats it up and helps them to prepare the meal or puts it in the fridge can be so important to those people. The people in involved with Meals on Wheels are very, very special and it is a very, very special organisation that goes to the heart of all of our communities.

Meals on Wheels started in Australia in 1952, nearly 60 years ago. It was first established in the UK after the Second World War, and it has grown here and in the UK. In the course of a year, Meals on Wheels organisations in Australia deliver in the vicinity of 15 million meals. They are delivered by nearly 80,000 volunteers to about 53,000 Australians. I am sure that that number has increased since the figures I have before me were written.

The nature of Meals on Wheels has changed. As society has changed, Meals on Wheels has been able to change with that. Previously the meals were all meat and three veg, but now Meals on Wheels takes into account the multicultural nature of our society and is able to deliver to people the kind of meals that make their lives very pleasant. It remains true to its origins and focuses on people of all ages, particularly old and frail people and people with disabilities.

One of the experiences that I have had as a member of parliament that I have enjoyed more than anything has been going out with Meals on Wheels groups and delivering to people in their homes. I have enjoyed also going in and helping cook the meals and being part of a team. It is a team, and everybody works together—from the person that does the rosters, who is quite often employed, to the person who delivers the meals. Meals on Wheels is about more than just providing meals. It is the heart of our community. It is more than just the meals, not only for the people that are given the meals but for the volunteers involved. They enjoy going and talking to the people they deliver the meals to just as much as the people who receive the meals enjoy talking to the volunteers.

I will talk a little bit about the Meals on Wheels groups in my electorate—forgive me for being a little parochial. I went to the Charlestown Meals on Wheels Christmas party last week, where there were about 120 people present. Certificates were given out for periods of service. The longest time a person had been serving was 38 years, and that was Ellen Kilpatrick, the wife of the previous Mayor of Lake Macquarie. She started delivering Meals on Wheels when her now 40-year-old son was two, and she is still doing it today. That shows a sense of community. There was Ern, who had his name tag in the middle of his head at the party. He is 94 years of age and goes out delivering Meals on Wheels to people who are younger than himself but frailer. Today, Charlestown deliver over 260 meals. They average 1,000 meals a week. They have been operating since 1969. Their first delivery was of nine meals. Charlestown is one of the last production kitchens working. Three of the Meals on Wheels organisations I am going to talk about are production kitchens, and they take great pride in the fact that they are production kitchens and they want to remain production kitchens. They have 170 volunteers preparing and delivering meals. Belmont Meals on Wheels averages 800 meals a week. From June 2010 to June 2011 they delivered 48,400 meals with 134 volunteers.

Central Coast Meals on Wheels operate differently. They deliver frozen food. They did not have the number of volunteers to be able to have a production kitchen. They provide a really good service to the people on the Central Coast, and they have adapted to meet the needs of their community. They delivered 11,000 meals during October. Central Coast is a lot bigger than the suburbs that I mentioned. They have 580 volunteers. They deliver from Mooney Mooney, which is in Robertson electorate, to Gwandalan, in Shortland electorate. They have also started a new program called Flexible Food, which brings socialisation to frail aged and younger disabled people on a food related theme. It could be something like shopping with them or having a meal or a coffee. That is bringing into play the contact that Meals on Wheels provides and providing an extra service.

Swansea Meals on Wheels average 67 meals per day and they deliver on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They delivered 739 meals in September. They have around 100 volunteers working for them, including cooking meals and delivering them to people. Swansea Meals on Wheels came to see me earlier this year because there has been a push to introduce a program called the Future Food Project. That is delivering food to people from a central kitchen. It means delivering frozen meals. It is something that Swansea, Charlestown and Belmont would prefer did not happen because they enjoy the preparation, because that is part of that whole teamwork, of everybody joining together and working together to deliver to their community. This is being driven by the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care, ADHC, in New South Wales, and I really think that the department in New South Wales needs to look to the history and the purpose of Meals on Wheels. It is a community driven organisation. It is not an organisation that should be dictated to by any government. There need to be proper regulations in place to ensure that food safety standards are observed, in which the Meals on Wheels in Shortland electorate achieve the highest rating.

I conclude where I started, by thanking those thousands of volunteers for their wonderful work and enormous contribution, be it in cooking and delivering meals or in counselling and talking to the frail aged and disabled people within our communities.

Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to start by saying that I am very grateful to have the chance to speak about Meals on Wheels here tonight. For decades I have heard about the wonderful service provided by Meals on Wheels and, since being elected as an MP, I have had the pleasure of meeting the hundreds of local volunteers and seeing firsthand the difference that they make in people's lives. Meals on Wheels is a familiar name to Australians all over and it is at the heart of many communities. It represents helping hands, teamwork, and looking out for each other. It is all about people in the community joining forces to help others.

In New South Wales, Meals on Wheels was started in March 1957 by Sydney City Council. In the first week, 150 meals were served for inner-city dwellers. These were cooked in the Town Hall kitchen and the cost of the meal then was two shillings, which is about 20c in today's coinage. The service quickly spread to other areas and today there are approximately 315 groups which are known as Meals on Wheels or Food Services in New South Wales. From its inception over 50 years ago, Meals on Wheels has grown to become a driving force in the care of the community. In the course of a year, over 14.8 million meals are delivered by more than 78,700 volunteers to about 53,000 recipients Australia-wide in cities, regional and rural areas. Of these about 4.5 million meals are delivered by 35,000 volunteers in New South Wales each year by 190 Meals on Wheels services servicing the needs of over 15,000 clients per day. The client base is broken down to 32 per cent metropolitan and 68 per cent regional clients. It is important to regional and rural communities. Meal prices range from $4.50 to $9. Importantly, meals are provided to clients at production cost.

While the tradition and values of Meals on Wheels remain true to their origin, a focus on engaging people of all ages from all walks of life is unfolding and bringing renewed energy, ideas and visions to help the organisation continue to provide vital services that meet the needs of the community. For decades, I have heard about the wonderful service provided by Meals on Wheels, and since being elected as an MP I have had the pleasure of meeting these volunteers and working with them in the delivery of meals and to see the difference they make in people's lives.

In my electorate of Paterson alone we have almost one dozen Meals on Wheels branches, including East Maitland, Dungog, Stroud, Nabiac, Forster-Tuncurry, Raymond Terrace, Nelson Bay and Tea Gardens Hawks Nest. When you consider that each and every one of those must run on a team of volunteers, it is truly amazing. Consider, for example, that East Maitland Meals on Wheels delivered 34,401 meals in the 2010 financial year. That is equivalent to 94 meals every day. There is just no way it could have been done without the volunteers who donate their time so freely. It goes without saying that each and every team member is worthy of recognition, and on behalf of the Paterson electorate I would like to thank our local Meals on Wheels volunteers. That includes 140 volunteers at East Maitland, 20 at Dungog, 250 in the Great Lakes region, and 100 at Tea Gardens Hawks Nest. In fact, when you add up all the Meals on Wheels volunteers in Paterson, nearly one in every hundred electors who live in my electorate are volunteers for the service.

Of course, there are some very special names that should be mentioned tonight. Just this morning East Maitland held a ceremony for the long-service awards. Moya Kennedy and Edith Lawrence were recognised for 30 years service. Robyn Searle, Rhonda Taylor and Margaret King were awarded for 25 years, while Glen Rose and Shirley Elliot have contributed 20 years of work. The chair of fundraising, Barbara Heckman, was also honoured for her role in securing the vital service, and also awarded Maitland's Citizen of the Year in 2011. At Dungog, Julie Duncan has been volunteering for Meals on Wheels for 40 years. That is half the average person's lifetime. Barbara Fraser has notched up 30 years, Lyn Witt 25 years, Pat Simmons 20 years, and there are another 15 members with more than 20 years service as well, working to deliver fresh, hot meals to the needy every day.

Also a special mention at Dungog is the adopt-a-chef program, which won this year's food service innovation award. The program took students from the Dungog High School and allowed them to work with the elderly people to cook simple nutritious two-course meals. It is fantastic to see partnerships such as these, which are servicing so many areas of the community which would otherwise go without. It is also teaching our kids how to look after themselves and to follow a balanced diet. Students are also working with Meals on Wheels up at the Great Lakes, and organisers are confident that a student volunteer program will continue to grow. In the Forster-Tuncurry area, Lillian Parsons has been volunteering since the local Meals on Wheels service began 37 years ago. George Mazaraki has just completed 25 years. In the small community of Tea Gardens Hawks Nest there are 100 volunteers. Shirley Tearson and Jean Ryan have been drivers for two decades while Sylvia Rapley has been a cook for the same period. Together they delivered meals to the doors of more than 60 people in need. I wish I had the time to go on to the hundreds of other dedicated volunteers. However, I know from my own personal experience working with them that every volunteer would know just how important they are and the difference they make to people's lives. Instead, I would like to spend a few moments talking about the service that Meals on Wheels delivers. From the occasional day of working with and listening to those who give so much of their time, and witnessing the real impact of their efforts on the community, let me say clearly and unequivocally that the real impact is much more than just food in the belly. For many it is a nutritious meal, perhaps the only one they might manage in a day. Often Meals on Wheels is the highest source of nutritional content for a client who would otherwise survive on tea and toast.

Meals on Wheels seeks to actively educate clients and reduce the risk of malnutrition in older people. Improving nutrition reduces falls and other associated health risks in older people. Branches like Dungog will deliver hot, fresh food, whilst frozen meals are also available for the convenience of people and their carers. For some people it is a friendly chat with a volunteer who has come to deliver their food, and that can make a real difference. Sadly, for some it is the only personal contact they may encounter because they live alone or are not able to travel.

Many of my Meals on Wheels branches have also started to offer luncheon days for their customers so that they can get together for a meal and, more importantly, for social interaction. For others who are elderly or disabled, Meals on Wheels is a way to gain support so that they can stay in their own homes longer. Not only does that take the pressure off the aged care system; it provides immense relief for thousands of local residents and their families. There is nothing like being in your own home, with your independence and your familiarity.

When you mention Meals on Wheels, I believe it is most telling that you are hard-pressed to find someone who does not know about the service and the work it does and, in particular, the people who make it happen. The service has adapted and taken on many new partnerships over the years, which have secured its success. The management must be commended on that. Fifty years in the community is a phenomenal achievement and I can only hope that there are at least 50 more years to come.

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also want to take the opportunity tonight to participate in this important matter before the House moved by the member for Shortland, recognising the work that Meals on Wheels does in our communities and indeed has done for a very long time. As the member for Paterson said, all communities would be well aware of the Meals on Wheels services. They have a long, well-established reputation and are greatly valued. In fact, before being elected to this place, I got a job working in Sydney. I had been doing some volunteer work over the years, mainly, I have to say, for organisations associated with my children, and I was a bit disappointed that, having to commute to Sydney, it would be difficult to continue some sort of community volunteerism and involvement. I was working in a job where I had a flex day a month and it was drawn to my attention that Meals on Wheels might be a good option because you can actually commit to doing it just the one day a month if that is all you have available. I thought it was a great idea to get out at lunchtime on my day at home and go round and do that. It was an hour or 1½ hours once a month. So I enlisted as a volunteer with Meals on Wheels for a couple of years before I was elected to this place.

It was a service that I had been aware of and had valued as a general member of the community. But once you actually do it you get a whole new appreciation for how significant and important it is, and the motion by the member for Shortland reflects that. It is about providing nutritious food to people who are frail, elderly or isolated and unable to access the family connections and so forth that some of us would take for granted to provide that sort of support regularly, or indeed they may have just decided to be a bit more independent and to find ways to provide for themselves without putting that pressure on their families. There are a whole range of reasons for which people choose to use that service.

But it is more than the provision of meals; it is the fact that somebody comes into the home and engages with them. When you have the little red bag sitting in the car with all the hot meals waiting to be delivered you are conscious of the next person down the line, waiting for you to turn up at the front door, and so sometimes you have to be a bit careful not to get caught up in too many conversations with the people you are delivering food to. They are often people who not only want to have a bit of a chat but also have amazing life stories and tremendous experiences to share. I have to say, that for those couple of years it was one of the most pleasurable volunteering activities I have ever been involved with. I absolutely commend all those in our community who do work as volunteers in the Meals on Wheels service.

It was interesting for me as we gathered at the back of our local club where the meals were put out from, that probably two-thirds, if not more, of those who were volunteering with me in that service were retirement-age people themselves—the 'young ones', as they like to call themselves. I was chatting to some of them one day and they said that perhaps at that point in life you get a greater appreciation for the role of volunteers in keeping people in their own homes for longer and that this was something that they saw as a useful community service and something that they would appreciate later in life.

I think that is a great thing about volunteering. People understand that we strengthen our whole community. It is not just that you are doing something for someone else; as a community we all rely in different ways on people participating beyond the paid job, and this is seen in all sorts of volunteering activities. As I said, from my own experience it starts with your kids. You do the sports organising, or you do the fundraising for the drama group or whatever they are involved with.

I think we engage in very effective ways as volunteers in our community. If we want to sustain people in their homes to have a healthy, happy period of ageing, we want to make sure that they can do that in the best way possible. Meals on Wheels is a tremendous service, absolutely worthy of the support and the comments of all of those so far in this debate, and I am sure that those who will contribute later will acknowledge how important and how valued a service it is and our great appreciation for the wonderful volunteers in our communities that make things possible day in and day out. And to those who organise and provide the professional support to them as well, it is a tremendous effort all round.

Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to commend the member for Shortland for bringing forward this motion this evening to honour Meals on Wheels, a truly great volunteer organisation in our nation. I would also like to commend those who have spoken before me tonight—the member for Cunningham and also the member for Paterson—who have given their own personal stories about what this organisation means to them and to their local communities.

Meals on Wheels is an exemplary example of how a volunteer organisation can make a positive contribution to society. Meals on Wheels supplies hot meals to elderly and incapacitated people who may not always be able to provide for themselves. It is an invaluable service and its value extends far beyond the capital that it takes to run it. Its value is very much in the people that volunteer their time to make the organisation what it is. I have said in this House on previous occasions that our nation will be judged on how we care for those who cannot care for themselves. Meals on Wheels is an exceptional example of how a community can work together to improve society and a nation as a whole.

Meals on Wheels was founded in Australia in 1952 and is now one of the largest volunteer programs in the nation. In one year alone, over 14.8 million meals were delivered to about 53,000 recipients. Meals of course are the central component of this program. There are many reasons why people may need to have their meals delivered at home. Certainly I know from the local experience in my own electorate of Higgins that as people get older and sometimes lose loved ones, their ability to prepare a nutritious meal for themselves can become a very stressful experience. Many people who would otherwise be able to lead independent lives would not have that option if they were not provided with the service that is provided by Meals on Wheels.

There are currently more than 78,700 volunteers registered with the program. It is truly one of the nations great volunteer movements and is one that should make every Australian proud. As the Meals on Wheels mantra suggests, though, it is more than just a meal. The volunteers to this program do so much more than simply drop off a meal and leave; they spend time with those people they are servicing, offering friendly conversation, companionship and sometimes just somebody who can check in to see that they are doing okay. Most importantly, they make the people whom they serve feel valued, which I think is probably the most important gift of all.

I would like to particularly pay tribute to the volunteer nature of this program. Giving one's time to assist others while seeking no personal reward in return is a truly noble act and cannot be praised or recognised enough. In Higgins we are blessed with so many people who are committed to serving others. It is this commitment to charity and to community service that transforms our neighbourhood into a community. It is one of the more rewarding tasks of my job to have the privilege of representing constituents and to be able to present them with grants through such things as the Volunteer Grants program, which was initially implemented by the Howard government under the title Volunteer Small Equipment Grants program. This just makes it a little bit easier for those people who give of their time, and it means some people who would otherwise not be able to give of their time are able to do that.

For those who are not familiar with how the Meals on Wheels program works, the administration within Victoria is conducted by local councils. In Higgins this means the majority of the program falls under the jurisdiction of the Stonnington Council, and I would like to particularly thank them, along with the Boroondara, Glenara and Monash councils for all the great work and resources that they commit.

I would like to conclude tonight by reiterating the importance of this service to so many people, not only to the elderly but also to the disabled and those who cannot always look after themselves.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a great pleasure to speak about the great service that is Meals on Wheels, something that is uniquely Australian and I think something that all members in this place readily and keenly identify with. I think we all acknowledge the important work that the Meals on Wheels organisation does and, even more importantly, the individual people we all talk about who actually make up Meals on Wheels. They are the bedrock, they are the key, they are the most important people of all.

Like every other electorate in the country, I have in my electorate a great Meals on Wheels service in places like Inala, all my Centenary suburbs, in Goodna, in Redbank and in parts of Ipswich. Right across my electorate there are a whole range of people that every single day of the week volunteer their time to prepare top-quality meals and give not only just of their time but often of themselves in a much larger way, and their vehicles and petrol, and they do it with a smile on their faces as it is something they absolutely enjoy doing. I can understand why they enjoy it. It is hard work but it is great work, and when you go around with people from Meals on Wheels and help them deliver those meals you realise that it is more than just sustenance, more than just food.

I want to congratulate the member for Shortland for bringing this motion to parliament so that we can have the opportunity to speak about the important work that these Meals on Wheels volunteers do. It is much more than just the provision of food and sustenance; it is about developing friendships and it is about community engagement. It is also about giving support to people who are quite vulnerable in the community and often do not have a lot of contact with other people. For some I know first-hand that the only contact they get is through the Meals on Wheels volunteers, and it is important that we acknowledge all of those really good people.

When we have recognition ceremonies and awards, particularly when we are recognising volunteers, I can guarantee you that there would not be one volunteer awards ceremony in any electorate in the whole country where you are not giving an award to a Meals on Wheels volunteer. They really are the bedrock of our communities. They provide not only quality service and quality food but they really underpin what it means to have a community. We talk about having a community. It is about making sure that nobody is left all on their own and we have got people connected to other people in our community. So it is quite a special service and something that I am very proud of. As we have heard tonight from other members, some of the volunteers for Meals on Wheels in my electorate have been doing it for 15 or 20 years. Some of them have been doing it for incredible amounts of time, for 40 years or more, which is really an amazing dedication and service. I can understand why they do it, though. Once you start doing Meals on Wheels it is hard to stop, because you start to develop friendships and connections with people and you feel some sort of responsibility to them to make sure that you deliver the food.

We play an important role federally in supporting Meals on Wheels. I always believe we could do more, but I think that we do a lot. But I think it would be a fair and polite thing to say that we could always do a bit more, and that would be accurate. It is not the service that it was 20 or 30 years ago. The hygiene, food standards and level of quality that are required now are quite high, and that is to be expected. We would not want to eat anything that is substandard or unhygienic and we would not expect that anybody else in the community would want that either. There is a high level of cost now attached to delivering Meals on Wheels and also to the training. The people are expected to be quite professional about the way they prepare meals, including wearing gloves and hairnets. Any time you go to a Meals on Wheels kitchen it is a full production. It is a full facility. It is stainless steel, and it is done the way it should be. It does mean a lot of costs, though, in properly either renovating or setting up all of those facilities. But it is something that is well worth spending the money on and something I know we all support.

There are very few things out in public life that there is absolute agreement on in this place, but I think Meals on Wheels is one of them. I would go as far as saying I do not think anyone would have a bad word to say in any context about Meals on Wheels. It was set up over 50 years ago in Australia. It has provided an incredible number of meals—something like 15 million meals—in that time. When you think about what that represents in providing good quality food to people and also that companionship, I think it does stand the test of time. I want to congratulate not only all of the volunteers and the Meals on Wheels organisation for the great work they do but also the member for Shortland for bringing it to the attention of the House. (Time expired)

Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to sincerely thank the member for Shortland for bringing this motion forward. As the member for Oxley just said, Meals on Wheels is one of the unifying factors in this House. When I am doing graduation ceremonies or doing my year 12 leaver guides I tell the kids in grade 12 to do something the next year and that one of the things they must do is volunteer—give blood or go and work for someone—to do something for somebody and not expect anything in return. One of those great institutions is Meals on Wheels.

When Peter Parr was CEO of the North Queensland Cowboys he always spoke about surf lifesaving clubs. He said you never found an unhappy clubbie; they were always great places to be. I agree with the member for Oxley: you walk into a Meals on Wheels kitchen and there is not an unhappy person there. They are all enjoying the work. They work hard and they do not stop. I agree with the member for Higgins, who said that the meals are probably the least important part of the day. Yes, that keeps you alive, but it is not only the companionship of the people they go to visit but the companionship of the people who work in the kitchens that gives people something to do. The ladies and men who go there to drive the cars do it not only because they know they are doing something fantastic for the community; they are doing it as an outlet for themselves.

I would like to raise a couple of points in relation to the St Andrews Meals on Wheels in Townsville, which is run by St Andrews Presbyterian Church and has been delivering meals to Townsville's elderly and disabled for over 45 years. Ray Lazzaroni, who wears some of the worst shirts you will ever see in your life, is the business manager of the centre and he runs the place, as the member for Oxley said, with military precision. It is a very clean place. We have a brand-new facility in Flemming Street Townsville. It is purpose built. It has a drive-through. They were able to overcome objections with the council to get the thing through. It was built by Bern Lancini homes and it is a fantastic facility. Its committee is made up of the Reverend Peter Barber, the chairman; the Reverend Kwangho Song, the vice-chairman; Wendy Lawn, the secretary; John Berry, the treasurer. Justine Alison, Dawn Robinson, Alison McFaull, John McQuaker and Jocelyn Sletten make up the rest of the committee. Jack Ball is the patron. He has been a part of Meals on Wheels since it began in 1964 and has barely missed a day. He is a tremendous bloke.

Meals on Wheels in Townsville caters to over 250 clients and delivers around 1,600 meals per week. Meals on Wheels has proven to be a more vital service as economic times have become harder in Townsville.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It being 9 pm, the debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 41. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting. The member will have leave to continue speaking when the debate is resumed on a later day.