The food relief organisation was awarded $10 million in a state government election promise to establish food distribution hubs in Ballarat and Morwell.

This follows a prominent Ballarat Foundation community awareness campaign on food insecurity across the region.

Foodbank Victoria chief executive officer Dave McNamara said Foodbank was keen to continue working with the Ballarat Foundation to build on the blue-print for the food relief centre, marked for the Ballarat West Employment Zone. Plans featured including kitchen gardens and facilities for education programs.

The Ballarat Foundation is yet to hear from Foodbank on its plans moving forward.

Mr McNamara said Foodbank was still waiting to learn when the money would be made available from the government but he was confident to let community partners know soon.

Foodbank has regional hubs in Albury-Wodonga, Shepparton, Bendigo and Warrnambool, working with 460 charity partners, to provide fresh produce, chilled and frozen foods. But Mr McNamara said regional areas struggled with sustainability due to a lack of access to fresh produce outside the food hubs.

“We really want to attempt more on fresh produce. Our long-term is for a full choice of fresh, chilled, frozen and ambient (pantry) foods,” Mr McNamara said.

One in eight Ballarat people access emergency food relief each year, pressuring frontline food charities.

A Foodbank Hunger Report released in October revealed people living in regional areas were 33 per cent more likely to experience food insecurity than those living in major cities. 

Mr McNamara said Foodbank had a long history in emergency food relief and recovery, but it was also important to raise food education, like how to plan meals ahead and sticking to a shopping list to help save money.

Foodbank’s proactive programs include the Farms to Families markets, which run in Ballarat and offer fresh produce to clients of the region’s welfare charities. The pop-up markets reach about 300 Ballarat families who struggle to buy fresh food. Mr McNamara said partners like Ballarat Community Health hand out recipe cards to encourage upskilling.

Foodbank Victoria is also involved in school breakfast programs in a bid to give children a good, healthy start to the school day to fuel learning and food education.

Mr McNamara was special guest for Commerce Ballarat’s BizNet Breakfast on Tuesday.

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