Wallara Appointed Committee of Management for Collingwood Children’s Farm

As many of you may have already heard, we are thrilled to announce Wallara Australia has been appointed as the new Committee of Management for Melbourne’s iconic Collingwood Children’s Farm.

This decision was made by the Victorian Government to secure a sustainable future for the Farm that ensures it remains open, welcoming and sustainable for generations to come.

Wallara Australia and Collingwood Children’s Farm have always been remarkably similar in our missions of social inclusion and creating opportunities for people from all walks of life to enjoy, learn and explore at our farms.

The core purpose and mission of Collingwood Children’s Farm will not change. The local community will be able to continue to enjoy the space – with the added bonus of being able to provide meaningful employment for Melbournians with disabilities.

It has been heartwarming to see the support of our local and the wider community since this announcement was made.

We also want to give a special mention to the current staff at Collingwood Children’s Farm who have embraced this change. We look forward to learning from them and continuing to invest in each and everyone of them.

Over the next 18 months, we are committed to investing up to $1 million into the Farm to strengthen staff capability, infrastructure, and long-term sustainability.

We are also excited to announce that we will be creating 20 new jobs for people with disabilities to work at Collingwood Children’s Farm over this same time period.

This is not the first time we’ve been given the opportunity to transform local spaces into community hubs that create inclusion, connection, education and employment.

Ten years ago, we were entrusted by Menzies to become the custodians of Sages Cottage Farm on the Mornington Peninsula. Since then, we’ve invested over $4 million into transforming the farm into a thriving agricultural centre that has created 25 jobs for people with disabilities. Read more here.

Nearly three years ago, Brunswick Industries approached Wallara to help secure the future of their 50-year-old social enterprise, providing employment to 80 people. Since merging with Wallara’s logistics social enterprise in July 2023, Brunswick Industries—now Wallara Logistics Reservoir—has delivered strong, measurable outcomes: operational staff numbers have grown by 71%, supported employee numbers have increased by 20%, and non-NDIS income has risen by 40% through the introduction of new commercial partnerships. This growth has been underpinned by significant investment in staff and supported employee training, strengthening capability and long-term sustainability.

Each of these projects would not have been possible without the support and ongoing expertise of the local communities that know these sites well.

This will be the same with Collingwood Children’s Farm. We acknowledge and respect the historical legacy of the Farm and all the people who have helped shape it into the community treasure it is today.

Wallara will work hard to make sure this local knowledge is preserved. We have already formed a special Integration Committee including the current CEO and engaged a heritage consultant who is a longtime local.

Our aim is to preserve what makes Collingwood Children’s Farm special whilst rebuilding the facilities and infrastructure that have suffered from a lack of investment over recent years and creating new opportunities for an even more diverse and inclusive community.

We know this partnership will provide the stability needed to protect the Farm’s legacy while supporting its growth as a place where everyone belongs.