With grocery prices capped, there is hope to improve physical health as well as budget health in remote communities, a financial counsellor says.
In many remote communities across the country there's only one local shop to get groceries and driving to another can take hours, leaving residents with very little choice Mob Strong Debt Help senior financial counsellor Bettina Cooper said.
"The majority of these remote First Nations communities are in the most disadvantaged socio-economic areas in Australia," the Boandik woman said.
"The evidence is clear that something needs to change, the gap needs to be closed and there needs to be equity."
On Monday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a price cap on 30 essential products in more than 70 remote community stores as he delivered the annual Closing the Gap statement.
Ms Cooper advocated for price caps on essential items following a CHOICE investigation in October, which revealed some remote residents were paying double for their groceries than consumers in the city.
She told AAP on Monday it was exciting to see the government focusing on reducing the cost of essentials in remote communities.
"I'm excited to see that there's fresh produce on there, and I'm excited to see things like toilet paper and menstrual products because if you've got no options and those products are high priced, where does that leave you," she said.
The Prime Minister revealed just five of 19 Closing the Gap targets were on track to being met, but Ms Cooper said she hopes grocery price caps are a step toward achieving these measures for remote residents.
"They'll be able to access those items like flour, milk, tuna, bread, those essential items, even nappies and toothbrushes, that are affordable and accessible," she said.
"What we really hope will happen is over a period of time with these affordable items being there, that we'd actually see an improved health outcome and improved budget health too."
