The Yulella Aboriginal Corporation has established a community store in Meekatharra, 750 kilometres north-east of Perth, to improve access to basic goods and fresh produce.

It is one of many remote West Australian towns with significantly higher food prices due to freight costs and a lack of competition.

The small town of 850 people previously had only one grocery store. The nearest major supermarket is 530km away.

Yulella site manager Reece Anderson said the corporation established the "Vision" shop last year to sell fresh food, as well as clothes, furniture and bikes.

He said the outlet aimed to help locals struggling in the cost-of-living crisis.

"I've been working with wholesalers, farmers just trying to get some fresh, cheap produce and trying to make it affordable for the community," Mr Anderson said.

Meekatharra has a population of less than 900 people. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Chloe Henville)

"The Vision shop was just pretty much an outlet where people can get cheaper goods or affordable goods, as opposed to the current prices in town."

'Click' for 500km delivery​

Yulella has also started a weekly "click and collect" delivery service from a major supermarket 530km away in Geraldton.

Reece Anderson says the store provides options the town badly needs. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Chloe Henville)

Mr Anderson said people could place their order at the Vision shop, which was then taken to the shop or to their door.

The service is currently capped at 10 people, but Mr Anderson said demand was rapidly growing.

"As we go on and we iron out the kinks, then [demand is] going to keep going up and up," he said.

Yulella is planning on using produce to make fresh soup in the future. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Chloe Henville)

Mr Anderson said there were plans to install a coolroom to increase storage capacity and a soup service to reduce waste.

"Veggies that are close to being expired, [we'll] make them into a soup [and] people can bring down their bowls and takeaway containers and fill them up," he said.

"That's cutting costs in waste as well."

Bikes are among the goods for sale in the store. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Chloe Henville)

Vulnerable groups hit hard​

Meekatharra Youth Focus service manager Paulette Anderson said access to affordable fresh produce was a constant problem for local families.

"Food poverty is probably one of the biggest issues facing our families in Meekatharra," she said.

"Not being able to feed your family is a massive worry … and we know that food poverty has a direct relationship to poor mental health outcomes."

The shop sits on the main street. (ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt: Chloe Henville)

She said the store was also the only place in town to buy household items.

"I can't just go and get a new kettle. I have to go online and order it and wait for it to get here," Ms Anderson said.

"Having the ability to be able to choose gives people a little bit of agency back."

Written by Chloe Henville, ABC News.

 

[Toni Wrinkles]

Now that's called community minded, what a fantastic idea and how 1 persons caring idea makes life easier and yes cheaper for their community, in this day and age it makes an old heart have hope for us yet.

 

[darrellh]

It shows what can be done by common sense community minded people and I take it no politicians.
More areas could take this on board, it's obviously not rocket science.

 

[Leenie]

Time for the governments to bring back freight trains that should cut the price of goods , and als o make high ways safer.

 

[meighLeigh]

Time for the governments to bring back freight trains that should cut the price of goods , and als o make high ways safer.

Freight trains cost money, too. And there are no railways to many remote areas. That costs money. Maintenance of the railways - especially in outback Australia, where summer temperatures can warp metal at times. Highways don't go to all 'remote' communities.
Anything 'the government' does is at taxpayers expense.

 

[DLHM]

One man’s Vision (Shop), is a great idea and I wish him success.

It’s one helluva task and hopefully there’ll be some people on board to help with the organising, business knowledge, financing, accessing the food and other goods. I don’t know what is involved, but it appears he’s going in with his eyes and heart open.