The Maroondah Citizens Bureau is a non-profit community based organisation that aims to provide a range of support services and referrals for people in need, in order to enable them to be independent and effective members of the community.

Today’s annual general meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on the changes within the organisation, including the appointment of a new office manager and an emphasis on improving governance through the development of new policies and procedures. These efforts will ensure that the organisation can continue to provide its services to people in need and make it easier to recruit and retain volunteers.

The guest speaker was from the Outer East Primary Care Partnerships, a network of health providers, who spoke about food security within Melbourne’s outer east. Food security examines the ability of a community to be able to afford nutritious food, as well as the proximity and location of fresh food. Over ninety percent of clients who access the Citizens Advice Bureau requested food relief, demonstrating that affordability of food is increasingly becoming an issue within Maroondah.

Given that little food is grown locally within the outer east, rising transportation costs are of a particular concern and the presentation did explore the potential for more locally produced food within the region.

The Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau exists to serve people in need and is acutely aware of the growing financial pressures on Maroondah residents and households.