The Andrews Labor Government will provide fresh and healthy food with the new Ballarat Foodbank Hub, ensuring food relief gets to the people who need it most.

Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Anthony Carbines welcomed the acquisition of land for a new facility to be operated by Foodbank Victoria in Ballarat.

The new hub will provide fresh and nutritious meals, prepared in an onsite commercial kitchen, with community-based food programs including Farms to Families pop-up markets and training programs to improve food literacy, also operating from the hub.

The Ballarat Foodbank Hub will be located in the Ballarat West Employment Zone, on a 4.7-hectare site following an expression of interest process.

The Ballarat hub will be up and running by the end of 2022 and will partner with local charities to provide essential food relief to Central Goldfields, Golden Plains, Hepburn, Mount Alexander, Ballarat, Grampians and Pyrenees Local Government Areas.

The hub will be run by a mix of paid staff and volunteers and will also provide vocational training placement opportunities. Supplies will be provided by Foodbank Victoria and donations from local supermarkets, wholesalers, and producers.

The Labor Government is also delivering hub services through Albury-Wodonga Regional Foodshare, Bendigo Foodshare, Geelong Relief Centre, Mildura Foodshare and Warrnambool and District Foodshare.

This forms part of more than $39 million to expand community food relief across Victoria since February 2020, including $6 million from the Food Relief Financial Reserve which have provided 3.4 million meals to Victorians. A further $5 million has helped 93 community food relief organisations to deliver more food relief to Victorians.

Every year, the government provides $3.7 million to Foodbank Victoria to provide food to 140,000 Victorians each month in partnership with more than 470 charities.

Quote attributable to Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Anthony Carbines

“We are ensuring a warm meal is available for everyone who needs it – because no Victorian should worry about having enough to eat.”

Quote attributable to Juliana Addison Member for Wendouree

“With this new Ballarat hub, food relief organisations across the Ballarat community will be able to continue their important work getting food out to vulnerable members of our community long into the future.”

Quote attributable to Michaela Settle Member for Buninyong

“The new Foodbank Hub in Ballarat will mean more families in our community have fresh and nutritious food on their table when they need it most.”