But those aged 67 and over fared better in terms of transport costs, with the state government’s public transport concessions keeping travel affordable.
The report pinned the blame on soaring rental prices on the back of record low vacancy rates outpacing income growth and leaving low-income families unable to cover basic living costs.
Transport costs have also risen, and the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows food and non-alcoholic beverage prices had risen 3.4 per cent in the 12 months to August, with the cost of fruit and vegetables climbing a whopping 9.6 per cent.
WACOSS chief executive Louise Giolitto said it was another tough year for Western Australians, but especially for those on lower incomes — with reports of people skipping meals, rationing medication and forgoing heat and cooling in their homes to save.
Giolitto used the report to implore the government to prioritise investment in the needs of those in the country’s best-performing economy over multibillion-dollar budget surpluses, calling for support for weekly essentials like housing, transport, food and utilities.
“Community support services, which are critical to well-functioning and fair societies, have been underfunded for years and are being forced to cut outreach programs and reduce staff hours,” she said.
“It is clear that our systems are not working for far too many Western Australians, and our community does not have equitable access to life’s essentials. If we are going to build a fairer WA, it is time for urgent and targeted action.
“The economy should serve the people, not the other way around. Significant portions of our community are being left behind while our economy is booming, which begs the question – who is it
really booming for?”
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