Greg Pattinson’s face lights up when he speaks about the genuine impact Foodbank SA & NT is having in communities in the Top End.

A partner of Woolworths Group for 20 years, Foodbank opened a new Food Hub and Warehouse operation in Yarrawonga, Darwin, in January to assist the growing number of families in the region experiencing food insecurity.
 

Since opening the doors, Greg, the CEO of Foodbank SA & NT [pictured front], and Foodbank SA & NT Regional Manager Jack Barrett say the site has distributed more than 342,980kg of food relief across the Northern Territory, including remote First Nations communities.

“Over 35 per cent of those living in Darwin have experienced severe food insecurity in the past 12 months,” says Greg. “The establishment of the operations in Yarrawonga was imperative to supporting our mission – to get the most good food to those in need in the most efficient way possible.

“More than food, this has been a ‘lifesaver’ for families that would otherwise go

without. We’re getting twice the amount of food out than what we were doing.The site has done over 300 tonnes of food in the past 12 months.”

The newly expanded site includes a large warehouse, which provides support to 40 agencies and community groups, and more than 30 school programs with donations distributed to far-flung communities across the NT. There is also the Food Hub, which provides food relief directly to those in need in the Darwin community.

As well as donating food and household items from distribution centres across Australia, Woolworths Group’s supply chain arm, Primary Connect, is one of Foodbank’s biggest pro bono transport providers and regularly delivers pallets of food and essentials to the new Darwin site.

“Primary Connect delivered more than 1200 pallet spaces of pro bono transport for Foodbank in FY24 to support their work,” says Chris Brooks, Director of Primary Connect+ and Transport.

“We leverage spare capacity in Woolworths Group’s national transport network to move essential food relief donations to where they are needed the most.”

Greg says this support is absolutely vital to ensure Foodbank can continue to service those in need in the Top End, particularly in remote communities, given the high costs of fuel and freight.

“Woolworths Group and Primary Connect donate a certain number of pallet spaces on their trucks coming from Melbourne and Sydney over to Adelaide, and also from Adelaide up here to Darwin,” says Greg. “We simply wouldn’t survive without this support. It means we’re able to get essential food up here free of charge, and every dollar we save on freight enables us to buy another kilo of food to go out to families in need.”
 

Single mother of three, Sally says the dedicated Food Hub has been a lifeline for her and her family, who, like hundreds of fellow Darwin locals, are able to access free fruit, vegetables and bread as well as low-cost groceries at the Yarrawonga facility.

“It’s very easy to see the impact of what we do,” says Greg. “We can look out the window and see a single mum with three kids who has food because of the activities and things we have done.”

Jack agrees servicing the Darwin community fills him with immense pride.

“The sense of community spirit is very strong in and around Darwin,” he says. “There’s a common understanding that we are isolated from wider Australia, and we need to look out for each other. Since the opening of our Yarrawonga site, our clients have formed their own community here, using their weekly visit as an opportunity to catch up with others that they would now call friends.

“I’m filled with pride to put on my purple Foodbank polo T-shirt every day. The satisfaction of knowing that I’m helping others during these challenging times is immensely humbling, and something I haven’t felt before.”