ECU's long-running partnership focuses on improving wellbeing through a food hub model
Through the Early Years Partnership, Edith Cowan University (ECU ) are leading community consultations exploring priorities for food security in the Central Great Southern.
The Early Years Partnership is a 10-year place‑based partnership that works alongside local communities across Western Australia to improve children's wellbeing and school readiness. By bringing together community leadership, government, philanthropy and research, the partnership supports locally driven solutions that strengthen outcomes for children and families.
Previous community consultation revealed food insecurity is a key priority for the Central Great Southern, and as part of ongoing work in this space, community workshops will be held in the Shires of Katanning, Kojonup, Broomehill-Tambellup and Gnowangerup between 23 March and 26 March.
The consultations will seek to understand local needs, challenges and opportunities, and to co-design a food hub model that supports access to healthy, affordable, culturally appropriate and good quality food.
"Food hubs are about more than just distributing fresh produce, they are about creating sustainable, community-led systems that make healthy, affordable and culturally appropriate food accessible to everyone," project lead Dr Stephanie Godrich said.
"For a food hub to truly succeed, it must reflect the needs, strengths and aspirations of the people it is designed to serve. That's why community input is absolutely central to this process. The insights we gain from local residents, producers and service providers will directly shape how the hub will operate, what it prioritises and how it supports families across the Central Great Southern."
At the in-person workshops, participants will hear about research conducted to date and explore potential initiatives that could strengthen local food access. Community members will then work together to design how their ideal food hub could function, including how often it would operate, the types of services it would provide, and how the physical space should look and feel.
Community members are encouraged to attend, along with people working across food production, wholesale, transport, retail, social support programs, health, education, government and not-for-profit organisations.
Community members can also share their views through a survey, which will be available during Dental Health Week activities and at the Katanning Harmony Festival on 20 March, at the Early Years Partnership stall.
Those wishing to register their interest in attending a workshop can email s.godrich@ecu.edu.au.
