New Food Map points the way to a more food-secure Carlton

Carlton has a new tool in the fight against food insecurity, and it launched the same day the community sat down together to celebrate it.

The Lord Mayor of Melbourne Nick Reece officially launched the Carlton Food Map on Sunday, July 12 – a practical guide listing every place in the suburb where people can access free cooked meals or pantry items.

It’s a small, useful thing with a big backstory: the map is one of the first tangible outputs of Carlton’s new Food Security Action Plan, a five-year strategy from the Carlton Collaboration Partnership, bringing together the City of Melbourne, the University of Melbourne, RMIT, the Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre and local community groups to build a more food-secure neighbourhood.

The plan was shaped by a 2024 survey which found 48 per cent of local respondents had experienced food insecurity, a number too large to ignore. The map is just the start; more coordinated work is planned over the next five years.

To mark the occasion, the Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre coordinated the Coming Together Gathering alongside community members and local organisations, with funding from the University of Melbourne, and Church of All Nations (CAN) opening its doors as venue for the day.

This was very much the community’s day: the menu was shaped by local cooks and residents, and volunteers from The Community Grocer plated up fresh, seasonal food. The entertainment was local talent through and through, with an oud player, singers, and an MC keeping the room warm and lively.

It clearly landed. In post-event feedback, 100 per cent of respondents said they felt a greater sense of belonging from attending, and 100 per cent felt safe and supported.

Long tables filled the hall, with more than 230 people fed on the day. Traditional weaving was shared, popcorn popped for the kids, and strangers left as something closer to neighbours. It wasn’t an event about the community; it was by and for the Carlton community.

Organisers hope it’s the first of four such gatherings a year: food, music and connection, on repeat. •