Artwork by Laura Wills

Update June 2026

Council decision to establish a community food hub at Hastings Street Community Hall

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on potential sites for a community food hub in the City of Onkaparinga. Your input has played an important role in shaping the next steps.

After thoughtful questions and debate, at the meeting on 16 June 2026 Council approved establishing a community food hub at the Hastings Street Hall and establishing a community food outreach service at the Aldinga Institute Hall.

Specifically, the following motion was approved:

That Council note:

1. Engagement feedback reports for Hastings Street Community Hall, Seaford Community Centre and Aldinga Institute Hall (Attachment 1 to the agenda report).

2. The Development Application for a community food hub at Hastings Street Community Hall was approved by the Council Assessment Panel on 7 May 2026.

3. External funding of $1,179,269 has been secured from state government to establish a community food hub in partnership with The Food Centre and Good Shepherd.

4. In response to increased food insecurity nationally and in Onkaparinga several facilities have been explored to host a Community Food Hub.

That Council approve:

5. Establishing an Onkaparinga Community Food Hub at Hastings Street Community Hall, Seaford in partnership with The Food Centre and Good Shepherd following a successful state government tender application.

6. Establishing a community food flexible outreach service at Aldinga Institute Hall.

You can read the full Council Report here. The minutes of the Council meeting will be published on council’s website before close of business on Thursday 18 June 2026 along with a full video recording.

What happens next?

Council will work alongside our partners and community to progress the Hastings Street community food hub and Aldinga Institute outreach service. We anticipate the food hub will be operational in September, with the Aldinga outreach service established in October 2026.

We will provide a further update on this page once timings are confirmed. To be notified by email when the next update is available please 'follow' this page.

Staying connected with the community

To ensure strong connection with nearby residents of Hastings Street Community Hall, we will be establishing a Neighbourhood Reference Group to understand and respond to any immediate residents concerns as quickly as possible.

We invite interested residents to a meet and greet session:

Date and time: Wednesday 1 July 2026, 5.30–6.15pm

Location: Hastings Street Community Hall

For more information, please contact: Pamela Hamdorf, Team Leader Community Development (Acting) on 0481 093 546 or Pamela.Hamdorf@onkaparinga.sa.gov.au

Help shape the future of the food hub

We’re also establishing a Community Leadership Group to help finalise how the centre will operate. If you’d like to be involved, we’d love to hear from you.

For details, please contact: Linda Enright, Healthy Lifestyles Officer on 8384 0666 or Linda.Enright@onkaparinga.sa.gov.au

Background

We understand that increases to the cost of living is making it hard for many in our community to make ends meet.

As one way to support our community, with funding from the Department for Human Services we are investigating establishing a community food hub in the Seaford region.

A community food hub offers:

• low-cost groceries and essentials in a store-like setting
• opportunities to connect with others in the community
• skill-building activities and support programs tailored to local needs.

Everyone is welcome - no assessments or eligibility checks are required.

We engaged with the local community on their thoughts on a potential community food hub in the Seaford area between 29 July and 17 August 2025. The outcomes of the engagement can be found in the Community Engagement Feedback Report.

In February 2026 we were informed that The Food Centre was successful in securing state government funding through the Department of Human Services' Social Supermarket Program with support from council to host the food hub at a Council location.

Community engagement on three potential locations; Hastings Street Hall, Seaford Community Centre and Aldinga Institute Hall was undertaken between March and May 2026.