We’re here to grow the impact of the sector.
We’re here to grow the impact of the Neighbourhood and Community Centre sector by increasing resourcing, recognition and relationships at the local, state and national level. We collaborate with our members, partners and government for long term community & social resilience.
Communicating Sector Value
Highlighting the role and importance of Centres and advocating for additional resourcing.
Demonstrating Sector Impact
Encouraging and supporting research on Centres to demonstrate their impact in communities.
Growing Sector Capacity
Growing our capacity through professional development, resource sharing, coordinated actions & more.
Influencing Policy for Systems Change
Advancing policy and place-based program design through collaborative processes and advocacy.
Partnering for Community Outcomes
Building strategic partnerships across sectors to create better outcomes for Queensland communities.
Our Projects
Government Submissions
In FY 2025, NCQ made six submissions to government to influence policy, including the submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Volunteering in Queensland, the State Budget FY 2025-2026 submission, a contribution to the Office of Social Impact (OSI)’s Strengthening social impact in Queensland consultation, and a Place-Based Position Paper.
Neighbourhood Centres’ Regional Networks
With 150 Neighbourhood Centres across the state, groups of Centres have come together over the past 40 years to now form 11 regional networks.
Members Resources, Learning & Development
In FY 2025, NCQ worked to understand members’ priority development needs and strengths, and focused on the co-design and development of a bank of resources tailored to the Queensland Neighbourhood Centre context. These resources have been made available for access and use by members from anywhere at any time, at no cost.
Communications & Media
In 2025, NCQ focused on implementing impactful communications initiatives that celebrated the achievements and impact of Neighbourhood Centres, facilitated access to valuable resources, and strengthened visibility of the sector’s important work.
Neighbourhood Centre Week 2025
Neighbourhood Centre Week 2025 united communities across Queensland in a statewide celebration, raising the recognition of Neighbourhood Centres and their vital role. Now in it’s 20th year, the 2025 celebration saw more politicians than ever before acknowledge the vital role of Neighbourhood Centres.
Branding the National Peak Body and Sector
There are over 1000 Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres across Australia. In FY 2025, NCQ worked with the national peak body and state peak bodies to design and deliver a new brandmark and visual identity to increase visibility, recognition and connection of the sector nationwide.
Community-led Practice Disaster Recovery Project
The Community-led Practice Disaster Recovery Project saw NCQ and Neighbourhood Centres come together to develop a shared understanding of community-led practice to support communities impacted by disasters, and the delivery of a collection of resources designed for Centres, including definitions, case studies, workshops and expert talks.
Strategy for Disaster Resilience 2023-2026 Implementation
The implementation of the Queensland Neighbourhood Centres Strategy for Disaster Resilience 2023–2026 has become increasingly important as more disasters impact communities.
Women and Girls* Health Project
The Women and Girls Health Promotion Project supports 25 Neighbourhood Centres to deliver their own unique initiatives promoting the health and wellbeing of women and girls - each designed with and for their local community.
Resilience Readiness Scorecard
The Disaster Resilience Scorecard is a free online tool to help organisations identify how disaster resilient and disaster ready their organisation is, and where they can improve.
Charge Up! Energy Literacy Project
In response to growing community need, NCQ partnered with QCOSS and Energetic Communities Assocation (ECA) to coordinate the Charge Up! Project, an energy education initiative delivered by 20 Neighbourhood Centres across Queensland.
Community Food Program
NCQ’s Community Food Program encourages Neighbourhood and Community Centres to address local food, health and cost-of-living challenges in creative, collaborative and sustainable ways.
Community Development Micro-Credentials
NCQ, in collaboration with sector representatives, senior community development practitioners, and academic partners, are developing two free, online and accessible short courses tailored to the needs of the Neighbourhood Centre workforce.
2025 Federal Election Policy Platform
In the lead up to the 2025 federal election, NCQ listened to Neighbourhood Centres needs to deliver the first federal election policy platform with six key priorities to government.
2024 Queensland Election Policy Platform
In the lead up to the 2024 state election, NCQ listened to Neighbourhood Centres needs and delivered the first state election policy platform with six key priorities to government.
Growing Resilience Forum 2023
NCQ's Growing Resilience Forum was held on 10 July 2023, with the goal to strengthen relationships, shared understanding and collaboration between Neighbourhood Centres and the Disaster Management sector across Queensland.
Financial Resilience Partnership
NCQ is partnering with Good Shepherd Australia to implement the Queensland Financial Resilience Program in targeted Neighbourhood Centres around Queensland.
Disaster Resilience Strategy
A Queensland-wide disaster resilience strategy that expands on and synthesises the drought, monsoon and bushfire resilience strategies
Monsoon Resilience Strategy
A strategy & implementation plan to strengthen Neighbourhood Centres and their communities’ capacity to respond to monsoon events in affected Queensland regions
Bushfire Resilience Strategy
A strategy & implementation plan to strengthen Neighbourhood Centres and their communities’ capacity to respond to bushfires in affected Queensland regions
Drought Resilience Strategy
A strategy & implementation plan to strengthen Neighbourhood Centres and their communities’ capacity to respond to drought in affected Queensland regions
Parliamentary Inquiry into Loneliness & Social Isolation
NCQ mobilised the state’s Neighbourhood Centres to participate in the Parliamentary Inquiry into Loneliness and Social Isolation
Enhancing Community Development in Neighbourhood Centres
NCQ and Griffith University joined forces to explore the role of Community Development in Queensland’s Neighbourhood Centres
Neighbourhood Centre Survey and Social Value Report
Our Neighbourhood Centre Survey & Social Value Report gathers meaningful data to tell the story of Centre activities and demonstrate their value
Sector Reporting and Performance Framework
In 2020, NCQ worked together with Department of Communities and Queensland Neighbourhood Centres to design a new reporting & performance framework for our sector
Lunchtime Learning Online Sessions
One-hour opportunities to give busy Neighbourhood Centre staff and volunteers the opportunity to upskill, share knowledge and mobilise
Members Online Learning Platform
Don’t reinvent the wheel. NCQ are developing an online resource, learning and sharing platform to build the capability of our member organisations
Public Resource Library
Freely providing research, training materials and tools to share the value and expertise of Neighbourhood Centre’s place based community-led approach