How the program works

Process to becoming a Westfield Local Hero

1

Community members nominate their heroes.

OCT - MAR

2

Nominees and the organisations they represent complete the nomination.

MAR

3

Nominations are assessed, validation checks undertaken.

MAR - AUG

4

3 finalists per destination are promoted, and communities are invited to vote for their preferred hero.

AUG - SEP

5

The votes are counted.

SEP - OCT

6

Our Westfield Local Heroes are announced and celebrated, and grants are awarded to our heroes and finalists.

OCT

Key dates & details

Key dates and actions to remember for 2026

NOMINATE

14 October 2025 - 12 March 2026

Community members nominate their Westfield Local Hero by filling in an online nomination form.

In the form, nominators are asked questions about their nominee and how their work benefits the community or environment.

The online form is accessible via the “Nominate Now” button on this webpage.

SUBMIT

14 October 2025 – 19 March 2026

Once the nominator completes the online nomination form, the nominee will receive an email with a personalised link to their online submission form.

The nominee then must complete and submit this online by 19 March 2026 to be eligible in the program.

The nominee will also provide an organisation contact, who will be sent a separate form to complete on behalf of their organisation which is also required for the nomination to be eligible.

VOTE

25 August 2026 – 20 September 2026

Nominations are assessed by our selection panels against a set criteria to create a shortlist of three finalists per Westfield destination.

This equates to 126 finalists across our 42 Westfield destinations in Australia and New Zealand. As we receive nominations from across Australia and New Zealand, between March and August we are busy reviewing and discovering the hundreds of local heroes in our communities.

We thank you for your patience as we undertake this important task.

CELEBRATE

20 October 2026 – 8 November 2026

The successful Westfield Local Hero with the highest number of community votes for each Westfield destination will be announced and awarded a $20,000 grant for the organisation they represent.

Finalists receive a $5,000 grant for their organisation.