Shortages of agricultural land, water resources, climate change, inequality, and problematic dietary habits are among the biggest challenges threatening the health of modern human civilisation and the natural systems that support it. A coordinated and cross-sectoral approach is needed to improve local, national and global food systems. Local governments, in particular, can play a crucial role in facilitating food policies and programs suitable for their communities. Here, we analyse the policies and regulations of councils across Victoria and NSW that contribute to a healthy, sustainable and equitable food system. Specifically, our project involves a website search and survey to identify relevant policies, followed by content analysis and the mapping of our findings to a best-practice food systems policy framework (51 recommendations in eight domains) derived from the literature. In addition, we will conduct interviews on how regulations and processes guide, enable, or hinder action by community initiatives and councils as part of six in-depth case studies. Overall, this project will inform policy and legislative reform, and empower local governments and communities to be proactive in strengthening food systems. This presentation introduces the project and its framework, and outlines preliminary observations on the policies affecting the food system of inner metropolitan Melbourne. In particular, we will focus on the cities of Melbourne and Moreland, which have spearheaded the development of dedicated local food policies in Australia.