Welcome to the Australian Local Food System Policy Database. This is a collection of policies from New South Wales (NSW) and Victorian local governments that relate to healthy, sustainable, and equitable food systems.
For further information about using the database and how it was created see How to use the database. You can search the database by using the fields below. Domain refers to eight broad categories under which various topics are situated. The domains and topics are based on a framework of recommendations for local government action on creating a healthy, sustainable, and equitable food system (also located on the ‘How to use the database’ page linked above).
To cite the database: Reeve B, Carrad A, Rose N, Charlton K & Aguirre-Bielschowsky I (2021) Australian Local Food System Policy Database. Available at: https://law-food-systems.sydney.edu.au/policy-database (access date).
Suggested search terms
Hold Ctrl to select multiple terms. Using ‘any words’ functions as an “OR” search. Using ‘all words’ functions as and “AND” search.
Search Criteria:
| Document title | Relevant text in the policy | Domain | Topic | State | Local Government name | Council type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Greater Geelong | The Recommended Strategic Directions The Geelong Rural Land Strategy sets out a long term vision for the City’s rural areas that  Reinforces a rural Рfarmed landscape beyond the urban areas  Continues to protect and provide opportunities for productive agriculture  Enhances the condition of the environment and the natural resource base, and  Contributes to the ongoing economic prosperity and quality lifestyle of the region | Economic Development | Local food producers | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | The strategy proposes that there is a continuing future for farming and agriculture in the rural areas of Geelong, but it will be a changing form, different from what has been traditionally known. In the future there is likely to be even fewer farms where the family is supported solely or mainly by agriculture. Many properties can and should still be productively farmed either by the landowner or another landowner as a part of a larger enterprise where land is leased or managed. | Economic Development | Local food producers | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | The Strategy recognises that agricultural production is locally important and economically significant for some residents | Economic Development | Local food producers | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | This strategy proposes that there is a continuing future for farming and agriculture in the rural areas of Geelong, but it will be in a changing form from what has been traditionally known. In the future there is likely to be even fewer farms where the family is supported soley or mainly by agriculture. This does not necessarily mean there will be less land farmed or fewer farms. Many properties, even relatively small holdings, can and should still be productively farmed either by the landowner or another land owner as a part of a larger enterprise where land is leased or managed. These ongoing opportunities for agriculture are important in terms of the future economy, character and livability of the City. | Economic Development | Local food producers | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | 11.1.3 Rural Living Zone The existing zoned rural living areas should remain in the Rural Living Zone. The stated purposes of the Rural Living zone as set out in the Victoria Planning Provisions are; To implement the State Planning Policy Framework and the Local Planning Policy Framework, including the Municipal Strategic Statement and local planning policies. To provide for residential use in a rural environment. To provide for agricultural land uses which do not adversely affect the amenity of surrounding land uses. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | 11.1.4 Rural Activity Zone The Rural Activity zone (RAZ) is a new zone to the Statewide suite of rural zones. The stated purposes of the Rural Activity Zone as set out in the Victoria Planning Provisions area; To implement the State Planning Policy Framework and the Local Planning Policy Framework, including the Municipal Strategic Statement and local planning policies. To provide for the use of land for agriculture. To provide for other uses and development, in appropriate locations, which are compatible with agriculture and the environmental and landscape characteristics of the area. To ensure that use and development does not adversely affect surrounding land uses. To protect and enhance natural resources and the biodiversity of the area. To encourage use and development of land based on comprehensive and sustainable land management practices and infrastructure provision. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | 11.3.2 Farm land leasing register The benefits of leasing farmland are widely recognised by farmers as a cost effective way to grow their business. In Geelong, despite many farms being sold for lifestyle purposes, they are still farmed by local farmers through leasing and share farming arrangements. Council should facilitate such activity through developing and maintaining a register of property owners with land they wish to have farmed and farmers wishing to lease land to farm. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | 11.3.5 Farmers Markets Farmers markets provide the opportunity for local product to be marketed locally. The ability to promote and sell local product would support the ongoing use of rural land for agriculture. Farmers markets within the Greater Geelong area should be supported. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | A Local Planning Policy is recommended that identifies that dwellings should only be permitted on vacant rural parcels where Council is satisfied that the house will positively promote farming operations on the land and it is demonstrated by the applicant that the primary use of the land will continue to be agriculture. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | A local planning policy should be developed that reflects these principles and provide clear guidance about the form of tourist development acceptable in the rural areas, and that generally tourist development needs to be related to, and subservient to, the agricultural use of the land, and compatible with the farmed landscape | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | A Local Planning Policy will be prepared that identifies that dwellings should only be permitted on vacant rural parcels where; • Council is satisfied that that, in the long term, the house will positively promote farming operations on the land and it is demonstrated by the applicant that the primary use of the land will continue to be agriculture; • Existing agricultural activity on adjoining land will not be compromised; • The proportion of the property used for the dwelling and ancillary infrastructure is minimal, and such development is directed to the area of lowest agricultural quality; • The productive capacity of the land will be enhanced. This should be achieved through addressing issues such as pest plants and animals and erosion of the land; • The environmental condition of the land will be enhanced. This should be achieved by fencing off remnant vegetation, revegetating strategic areas such as between remnant stands to develop wildlife corridors and along waterways; • The house and associated farming activity supports the maintenance of the rural farmed landscape. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | Agricultural capability assessment offers a means to consider the quality of land for soilbased agriculture, and its productive potential. Within the municipality an agricultural capability assessment was undertaken as a part of the 1997 Rural Land Use Study (RLUS). | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | Appropriate rural land subdivision controls need to be based upon the size required to maintain the farmed landscape and provide opportunities for productive agricultural uses. The Strategy recommends in the Northern Area this size should be 80ha and on the Bellarine Peninsula and the Southern and Western Areas this size should be 40ha. These sizes are based on an understanding of the agricultural opportunities in these areas, and the current minimum subdivision sizes. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | Continued use of rural land for agricultural production is encouraged, and contribution of rural production to the economy of the region is recognized. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | Council should maintain its existing policy of providing a lower level of rate for agricultural properties, reflecting the benefit of this land use to the broader community and its lower service demands. Lower rate levels will also be supported through Council consistently supporting and implementing this strategy, reducing speculative value on rural land. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | Geelong does offer a significant opportunity for some forms of shed based agriculture, including aquaculture and horticulture. In the case of aquaculture it is proximity to the coast and in the case of both aquaculture and horticulture it is access to Avalon airport, which offers export opportunities. Shed based agriculture such as aquaculture and horticulture offer significant benefit in terms of contribution to the Page x Greater Geelong Rural Land Use Strategy local economy. Such forms of agriculture should be supported but carefully managed in terms of siting so that they do not compromise the landscape objectives of the rural strategy. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | Implementation of this strategy will involve supporting the “right to farm” of local land owners, preserving non urban breaks between towns, ensuring dwelling development and subdivision will not remove the land from agricultural use and managing the location and scale of tourist facilities so that they do not undermine the rural character of land beyond the towns. Most importantly, the environmental assets must be protected and condition of the natural resource base enhanced, and the unique and valuable landscapes preserved. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | In considering applications where a commercial use such as tourism is to be established in conjunction with a rural-agricultural use, VCAT has generally found that the following elements need to be considered; Has the primary agricultural use already been established; The link between the primary agricultural use and the balance of uses should not be vague and elusive. Mere co-location is not sufficient; The mix of uses should not be disproportionate and out of balance, and result in an unreasonable loss of productive agricultural land; The match of the uses should not be unconvincing, inviting the conclusion that the accommodation and commercial activities are likely to function independently; The scale of the entire enterprise should not be completely over the top, resulting in unnecessary and unreasonable visual and environmental impacts; | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | In effect this means that the application of planning controls should reflect the primary aim of rural land management in an area, but not proscribe the flexibility to recognise that rural areas are not homogenous. A brief description of the available zones and the criteria for their selection and application is detailed below. 11.1.1 Farming Zone The new State mandated Farming Zone should be applied to the areas currently zoned Rural located in the northern parts of the City, so as to provide ongoing opportunities for agricultural use and development. The Farming Zone should also be applied to the western and southern peripheral rural areas. The basis of the application of the Farming Zone to these areas is the priority of preserving agricultural land for current and future agricultural use, providing opportunities for agricultural activity and maintaining a farmed rural landscape as a setting for the urban areas of Geelong. It also recognises that these rural areas are not offered as part of the settlement strategy for Geelong. Page 55 Greater Geelong Rural Land Use Strategy The stated purposes of the Farming zone as set out in the Victoria Planning Provisions are; To implement the State Planning Policy Framework and the Local Planning Policy Framework, including the Municipal Strategic Statement and local planning policies. To provide for the use of land for agriculture. To encourage the retention of productive agricultural land. To ensure that non-agricultural uses, particularly dwellings, do not adversely affect the use of land for agriculture. To encourage use and development of land based on comprehensive and sustainable land management practices and infrastructure provision. To protect and enhance natural resources and the biodiversity of the area. The overall purposes most closely match the current and preferred future use and development of the City’s northern, western and southern areas. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | in most cases, for tourism development in rural areas to be supported under this strategy it should be clearly rural in character and not an urban land use, operate in conjunction with the agricultural use of the land and should respect the landscape values | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | Key strategic directions The key strategic directions of the Geelong Rural Land Use Strategy are: Supporting preservation of the rural-farmed landscape beyond the urban areas for economic, environmental, and community reasons Continuing a planned approach to the rural areas so they are managed to contribute to the City’s overall growth and development Maintaining a distinct separation between urban areas and farming – rural activities Not providing for ad-hoc residential subdivision or use of land in rural areas Only supporting the development of a house on existing vacant lots where it will not compromise the farming – agricultural use of land and the presentation of the landscape Removing the concept that there is a nexus between minimum lot size and ‘viable’ farming units – minimum subdivision sizes are about retaining a rural-farmed landscape and opportunities for productive agricultural use of the land Maintaining the role of rural living through the provision of zoned land and by recognising the use of large rural parcels for lifestyle living associate with the agricultural use of the land Planning for a range of uses that need to be accommodated in rural areas (such as tourism/recreation development, dog keeping and other uses) by requiring buffers to urban areas and rural uses through the application of definitive policy and implementation of location and siting criteria Providing for some new uses and developments in rural areas on the basis that they can demonstrate that they will Support farming and not impose adverse impacts on agricultural use on adjoining and nearby uses Be subservient to the quality of the rural landscape Achieve substantial gains in the environmental condition of an area Meet all their own development costs Be designed and developed to a high quality Be well served by the relevant infrastructure Maintain the overall settlement strategy which reinforces the identity of urban areas, towns and communities and the concept of non-urban breaks between towns | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | Key Strategies Enhancing rural landscapes Enabling extensive farming | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | Rural Conservation Zone The Rural Conservation Zone should be applied to the Bellarine Peninsula in recognition of the unique blend of its landscape, environmental and farming values. The basis of the application of this zone to this area is to elevate the role and value of the environment and rural farmed landscape, and identify that agriculture and other activities should operate in this context. Application of this zone will not compromise existing agricultural activity and in some respects it will protect it. New farming activities should be supported where they are environmentally sound and they contribute to the farming landscape. Tourist accommodation proposals that are associated with, and subservient to, the agricultural use and character of the land can also be supported. While the area is seen to be rural and agricultural in character, and the application of the Farming Zone could be seen to achieve a land use and development outcome suited to the location, landscape protection is not a priority of the Farming Zone. The Rural Conservation Zone includes landscape preservation as one of its purposes along with agriculture. The important environmental and landscape values on the Bellarine Peninsula mean that many uses allowed within the Farming Zone could not be considered as suitable in this area. These include intensive animal agricultural operations (eg. poultry farms, piggeries), many of which are industrial in nature. Additionally, the importance of the coastal and wetland environments in this setting would be best recognised through application of the RCZ. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | rural land will primarily be used for growing produce and raising stock. Markets will determine the commodities produced, and the amount of land engaged, but the planning system should protect opportunities through maintaining land in parcels with productive and management potential and minimising land lost to building development and non agricultural use. Intensive animal industries and other shed based agriculture should be carefully located so that rural and scenic non urban landscapes are preserved. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | Shed based agriculture such as aquaculture and horticulture offer significant benefit in terms of contribution to the local economy. Such forms of agriculture should be supported but carefully managed in terms of siting so that they do not compromise the landscape objectives of the rural strategy. They should also be sited where they can gain access to existing water and sewer infrastructure. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | Subdivision and house lot excisions Appropriate rural land subdivision controls need to be based upon the size required to maintain the farmed landscape and provide opportunities for productive agricultural uses. In the Northern Area this size should be 80ha. On the Bellarine Peninsula this size should be 40ha. In the Southern and Western Area this size should be 40ha. These sizes are based on an understanding of the agricultural opportunities in these areas, and the current minimum subdivision sizes. Based on the strategy, house lot excisions are considered inappropriate in Geelong as they; • will result in an increased density of development; • will create a lot that is contrary to the purpose of the zone and the vision for the area; • and the form of farm restructure associated with house lot excisions is highly unlikely to occur due to the value of land and its comparative productive potential. These proposals should be implemented through the zone schedules, and the development of a local planning policy. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | The City has consistently adopted the approach of maintaining rural landscapes within the context of population growth in urban areas. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | The Farming Zone should be applied to the areas currently zoned Rural located in the northern parts of the City, so as to provide ongoing opportunities for agricultural use and development. The Farming Zone should also be applied to the western and southern peripheral rural areas. The basis of the application of the Farming Zone to these areas is the priority of preserving agricultural land for current and future agricultural use, providing opportunities for agricultural activity and maintaining a farmed rural landscape as a setting for the urban areas of Geelong. It also recognises that these rural areas are not offered as part of the settlement strategy for Geelong. The Strategy recommends that the Rural Conservation Zone be applied to the Bellarine Peninsula in recognition of the unique blend of its landscape, environmental and farming values. The Rural Conservation Zone includes landscape preservation as one of its purposes along with agriculture. The basis of the application of this zone to this area is to elevate the role and value of the environment and rural farmed landscape, and identify that agriculture and other activities should operate in this context. Application of this zone will not compromise existing agricultural activity and in some respects it will protect it. New farming activities should be supported where they are environmentally sound and they contribute to the farming landscape. Tourist accommodation proposals that are associated with, and subservient to, the agricultural use and landscape character of the area may also be supported. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | The northern areas of the City comprise landscapes used for cropping, grazing and viticulture. The strategy proposes that this area should be maintained in agricultural use, and opportunities for the use of reclaimed water around Balliang should be protected. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |
| City of Greater Geelong | The Peninsula retains unique, high quality rural landscapes associated with viticulture, horticulture, cropping and grazing around these towns as a result of previous planning strategies. Consistent with the findings of the Bellarine Peninsula Strategic Plan, this strategy proposes that the unique, high quality rural landscapes of the Bellarine Peninsula be maintained through the ongoing support for agriculture in the rural areas as this rural character of the Bellarine Peninsula is highly valued by local residents and visitors, and is a fundamental part of the liveability and identity of Geelong. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Greater Geelong | Regional |