2026 Westfield Local Heroes announced

This week our 42 Westfield destinations have each announced their 2026 Westfield Local Heroes, celebrating individuals who are making a positive difference in their local communities.

Across our portfolio of destinations and the communities they serve, a total of 42 heroes and 83 finalist community leaders and organisations have been recognised.

Collectively they will be awarded a share of up to $1.25 million dollars* in grant funding across Australia and New Zealand.

Our National Community Manager, Pam Wilson said: "We are thrilled to announce this year's Westfield Local Heroes and share the extraordinary work being done in our local communities.

“Each recipient is deserving of recognition for the selfless dedication they bring to our communities every day. We are delighted to help expand their impact through these grants.”

The Westfield Local Heroes program involves our local communities throughout the process to maximise alignment between local needs and our Heroes. This includes community members nominating their heroes and local council representatives being invited to join the finalist selection panels.

Pam continued: “This year we were honoured that elected representatives including local Members of Parliament and local Councils joined our Westfield Local Hero celebrations.

“This is wonderful recognition of the positive impact these individuals are having and demonstration of how we all work together to help strengthen the social fabric of our local communities.

“We know there are countless other unsung champions out there in our communities. We encourage everyone to think about the inspiring leaders in their own community and nominate someone they know for the 2027 Westfield Local Heroes program.”

This year marks the ninth consecutive year of growth for voting, with more than 74,000 votes received for the 2026 program. Since its inception in 2018, the Westfield Local Heroes program has recognised 1,116 deserving community leaders and has provided over $11 million* dollars in grants to community organisations across Australia and New Zealand.

*Westfield Local Heroes grants are provided in Australian and New Zealand dollars.

03 September 2026

Westfield Local Heroes 2026 Sustainability Leaders list winner

Elliott Rusanow, CEO, said: “This recognition reflects the impact of our Westfield Local Heroes program and the incredible contributions of the community leaders and organisations it supports."

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