Pantry To Purpose - The Neighbourhood Hub Wins Environmental Excellence Award

What began with a simple community pantry and Friday morning pies outside the George Street Centre has grown into one of the Mackay region’s leading examples of sustainability in action. Recognised for turning surplus food into community support while keeping waste out of landfill, The Neighbourhood Hub recently received the Best in Business – It’s Not Easy Being Green award at the Mackay Region Chamber of Commerce Best in Business Awards on 29^th May 2026.

The Neighbourhood Hub General Manager Nicolette Ffrost said the recognition carries great significance, particularly for the volunteers who have underpinned the program’s success.

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“It means a great deal, because the work behind it is everyday work. Sorting, packing, collecting and carrying, week after week, almost entirely by our volunteers,” she said.

“This award belongs to them. The Program does not run without them, and seeing their work recognised at the Best in Business Awards was the best part of the night.”

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At the centre of The Neighbourhood Hub’s environmental achievement is a streamlined and highly effective Food Diversion Program, delivered in partnership with SecondBite, local supermarkets, schools and producers. The initiative redirects surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, ensuring it reaches families and individuals in need across the Mackay region instead.

Since 2020, more than 150 tonnes of food have been diverted from landfill, which is equivalent to over 200,000 loaves of bread, or approximately 1.25 million bananas. Using Foodbank’s social return on investment methodology, the program has delivered more than $6 million in community value back into the region.

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At The Neighbourhood Hub, environmental responsibility is not a standalone initiative, but an embedded part of daily operations.

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“For us it is not a separate project, it is built into how we operate. Food rescue happens five days a week across our two centres, and we have an Environmental Ambassador at each centre,” she said.

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“The two things go hand in hand naturally. Reducing waste and meeting community need turn out to be the same job.”

“The benefit runs both ways. Every tonne of food we divert stays out of landfill, and it also becomes a meal on a table for a family doing it tough,” Ms Ffrost said.

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“Our Mid-Week Meal brings people together over food that would otherwise have been wasted, so the same program is cutting waste, easing pressure on household budgets, and connecting people to each other and to support at the same time.”

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Looking ahead, The Neighbourhood Hub is focused on expanding the reach of its Food Diversion Program, strengthening partnerships and increasing the volume of food rescued across the region.  

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“We want to keep growing the Food Diversion Program: more partners, more food rescued, and more families reached,” Ms Ffrost said.

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From those humble beginnings, The Neighbourhood Hub’s Food Diversion Program has grown into a far-reaching initiative now supporting a steadily increasing number of families across the region.

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“The most rewarding part has been watching it come this far,” she said.

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For more information, visit tnhub.org.au

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