Healthy Loddon Campaspe has released a preliminary finding from the 2025 Active Living Census (ALC), highlighting a concerning increase in food insecurity across the Loddon Campaspe region.
The latest data shows that 18% of residents in the region are experiencing low or very low food security, meaning they have faced challenges in accessing enough nutritious food over the past 12 months. This figure has almost doubled since 2019, when 9.2% of residents reported low or very low food insecurity.
The 2025 ALC included a more comprehensive set of questions on food security than previous surveys that provides a richer understanding of the issue within the Loddon Campaspe region.
Respondents were asked about experiences such as worrying food would run out, being unable to afford balanced meals, and reducing meal size or skipping meals due to financial constraints.
Healthy Loddon Campaspe spokesperson, Jess Howard said the findings are particularly relevant as the festive season approaches.
“Food insecurity is a growing issue in our region, and this time of year can be especially challenging for families and individuals,” Ms Howard said.
“Everyone in the community has the right to access sufficient healthy, affordable food to support their health and wellbeing. These early findings give us a clearer picture of the scale of the problem and will help inform future planning and action.
“In-depth, locally relevant data like that we receive from the Active Living Census is something most regions don’t have access to. It provides a unique opportunity to make evidence-based decisions, advocate for resources, and design programs that respond directly to local needs. This is critical for tackling complex issues like food insecurity.
“The early finding highlights that food insecurity is more commonly reported among certain community groups, including females, young adults, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and people who identify as neurodivergent.
“It is also more prevalent among those with lower levels of education, people experiencing financial hardship, and individuals requiring help with daily activities. Residents reporting poor mental wellbeing, poor self-rated health, current smokers and vapers, and those not meeting recommended sleep or screen time guidelines, were also more likely to experience food insecurity.”
Bendigo Foodshare CEO, Michelle Murphy said the data reflects what their 98 local food relief agencies are seeing on the ground.
“We continue to see increased demand for food relief across Central Victoria. Rising living costs mean more people are struggling to put food on the table,” Ms Murphy said.
“This data reinforces the need for strong partnerships and community support to ensure everyone has access to nutritious food. It also reinforces the importance of prevention programs such as Bendigo Foodshare’s cooking and growing programs that work to build capacity in disadvantaged communities, and particularly for young people from diverse communities.”
Healthy Loddon Campaspe and other local organisations are also supporting food relief efforts and working together to address food insecurity within the region in a number of ways including local food relief programs, and community lunches, and via strategies like the Flourish Regional Food System Framework.
While this early release provides a regional snapshot, detailed findings broken down by local government area will be available in the first half of 2026.
The Active Living Census is a key part of the Healthy Loddon Campaspe initiative, which aims to improve health outcomes across the Loddon Campaspe region.
The full set of findings from the 2025 ALC will be released in 2026.
For more information about the 2025 Active Living Census, visit: