Tackling hunger in Carlton

Food insecurity is a quiet crisis affecting almost half of Carlton’s residents.

According to the City of Melbourne’s 2024 Social Indicator Survey, 48 per cent of residents in the municipality reported experiencing food insecurity.

More than one in three said they were worried they would run out of food. Alarmingly, 31 per cent reported skipping meals.

At the Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre (CNLC), we see this reality daily.

Thanks to funding from the Victorian Government, CNLC recently completed its 10^th and final Food Relief Market. Every market sold out. Participants shared how the markets helped them stretch their budgets, feed their families, and regain a sense of dignity and community.

One participant shared, “Before the market, I had to work out what me and my children could do without each week.”

Another said, “It helped me save money for other essentials, like my glasses.”

The feedback was unanimous: the need is real, and the impact is deep.

The challenge? The funding has ended, but the hunger hasn’t.

That’s why CNLC is working closely with partners through the Carlton Collaboration — a unique alliance between the City of Melbourne, the University of Melbourne, and the Carlton Community Network (around 50 local community organisations). Together, we’re developing a five-year Carlton Food Security Action Plan to transform the way we respond to hunger.

The plan takes a dual approach: meeting urgent food needs while addressing the root causes of food insecurity. It prioritises emergency relief, coordinated local action, and – most importantly – community voice.

Our next step as CNLC includes securing funding to extend food relief efforts in Carlton.

Carlton’s story is not unique. But our response can be.

By working together – as neighbours, organisations, business and government – we can make food security a reality.