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 MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | The proportion of residents who reported that they have produced and consumed their own food in the last 12 months was around 59 per cent. This includes residents who grow vegetables, fruits and herbs at home or in a street or community garden. | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | 7. Home food growing and consumption | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Boyd Park Concept Plan* In 2017, the Boyd Sustainability Group, an active and engaged community group, started using planters and temporarily unused space to grow fruit and vegetables at the City of Melbourne’s community centre in the middle of Southbank. Early in 2018, we released the Boyd Park Concept Plan, which outlined the vision of a backyard for the thousands of residents living in apartments in Southbank. The City of Melbourne recognised the benefits of keeping space for food growing in a high-density environment and included a communal food garden in the concept. This will allow Southbank’s residents to continue gathering regularly to produce healthy, fresh and local food and build a resilient community. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Seniors living in public or social housing were part of a Healthy Living and Learning Program run by the City of Melbourne and conducted by the Kensington Neighbourhood House. For eight weeks, 50 participants attended weekly sessions such as cooking low cost nutritious meals that could be replicated quickly and easily at home. They learnt how to grow tasty herbs and vegetables in small spaces as well as a variety of healthy eating tips. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Stockyard Food Garden* A new communal food growing space called the Stockyard Food Garden has been established at the Newmarket Saleyards in Kensington. We have supported local residents to establish a self-governing committee to manage the garden. The garden includes 26 wicking beds that have recently been filled with seedlings including fruits, vegetables and herbs. This initiative recognises the importance of local food production and has created an accessible and inclusive space that strengthens social connection. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Supporting urban food production* Urban food growing strengthens the connection between food and place, builds community through food and knowledge sharing and creates a sense of local pride. The City of Melbourne has supported a local sustainability group through a range of workshops to increase knowledge around the food system, including growing food in small spaces, composting and the importance of soil health. The Boyd Sustainability Group have since grown in numbers and meet monthly with a focus on activating temporary concrete planters through planting fruit trees, herbs and vegetables. A permanent communal food growing space has been included as part of the Boyd Park redevelopment concept plan. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | The City of Melbourne has supported a local sustainability group through a range of workshops to increase knowledge around the food system, including growing food in small spaces, composting and the importance of soil health. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | The proportion of residents who produce and consume their own food.* 59.1% | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | The proportion of residents who reported that they have produced and consumed their own food in the last 12 months was around 59 per cent. This includes residents who grow vegetables, fruits and herbs at home or in a street or community garden. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | We will facilitate the flow of people and goods by enhancing the inner Melbourne transport network, including last-kilometre freight. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Year One Startup Action Plan Year One of the Startup Action Plan focused on delivering increased support for local businesses to start, grow and go global from Melbourne. This included providing a refreshed Local Food Launchpad program | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | designing and manufacturing a portable glass lunchbox for bringing lunch from home or taking away from a cafe. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Despite the determination, addressing the challenges facing the market remains a key priority for the renewal program. These include the lack of infrastructure to support contemporary work health and safety, food safety and site security practices, inadequate waste management systems | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | The City of Melbourne has supported a local sustainability group through a range of workshops to increase knowledge around the food system, including growing food in small spaces, composting and the importance of soil health. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Despite the determination, addressing the challenges facing the market remains a key priority for the renewal program. These include the lack of infrastructure to support contemporary work health and safety, food safety and site security practices | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Food safety FS1 Timeliness Time taken to action food complaints [Number of days between receipt and first response action for all food complaints / Number of food complaints] – 3.6 3.5 2.2 The City of Melbourne respond to and investigate all food-related complaints using a risk-based approach, for example: a complaint of food poisoning is responded to faster than a complaint about the condition of a premises due to the higher risk to public health. Response times will fluctuate due to the varying break-down of complaint types. FS2 Service standard Food safety assessments [Number of registered class 1 food premises and class 2 food premises that receive an annual food safety assessment in accordance with the Food Act 1984 / Number of registered class 1 food premises and class 2 food premises that require an annual food safety assessment in accordance with the Food Act 1984] x100 93.9% 96.2% 99.7% 100% All available premises were inspected within the required period. In addition, 143 class 2 premises did not require an inspection because they ceased to operate and their registrations were abolished. A further eight class 2 premises were rescheduled to the next quarter as they were undergoing renovations and were not operating. | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Food safety Health and safety Critical and major noncompliance notifications [Number of critical non-compliance notifications and major non-compliance notifications about a food premises followed up / Number of critical non-compliance notifications and major non-compliance notifications about food premises] x100 | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | designing and manufacturing a portable glass lunchbox for bringing lunch from home or taking away from a cafe. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | The Food Truck Park | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Year One Startup Action Plan Year One of the Startup Action Plan focused on delivering increased support for local businesses to start, grow and go global from Melbourne. This included providing a refreshed Local Food Launchpad program | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Continue the Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal Program* | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Continue the Queen Victoria Precinct Renewal Program including the New Market Pavilion, the provision of essential infrastructure under the sheds, Munro Development in Therry Street, including affordable housing, childcare and community infrastructure outcomes. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Creating a thriving, viable and authentic market underpins our commitment to the Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal program and Munro site which commenced this year. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Despite the determination, addressing the challenges facing the market remains a key priority for the renewal program. These include the lack of infrastructure to support contemporary work health and safety, food safety and site security practices, inadequate waste management systems, absence of dedicated trader facilities and a need for enhanced customer amenities including toilet facilities and car parking. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | In the coming financial year, Council will work closely with Heritage Victoria, traders, customers, residents and key stakeholders to submit a revised proposal to deliver much needed market infrastructure for traders and customers, while restoring and respecting the site’s heritage. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | It is essential to keep the market operating throughout renewal so we have invested $8 million in a support package that will help traders run, grow and innovate their businesses as we work to protect what’s great about the market. Council approved the innovative package this year, offering dedicated business and financial support to the more than 600 independently owned businesses at the market. The City of Melbourne led a co-design program with traders, market management and the renewal team to shape the Trader Connect program, with Small Business Victoria, the Small Business Commission and business experts also taking part. The program was officially launched to traders in March 2018 at a well attended breakfast event. As part of Trader Connect, the Small Business Mentoring Service is providing free, confidential business advice to all market traders. Since March, mentors have spoken with around half of the trading community, with businesses taking up ongoing mentoring. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Our 4-year priorities are We will provide enhanced support to small business during a period of major disruption. Our 2017–18 focus was • (Major initiative) Implement the Continuing Business Program at Queen Victoria Market. • Mi | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Our 4-year priorities are We will provide renewal of the Queen Victoria Market Precinct.* Our 2017–18 focus was • (Major initiative) Continue the Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal Program. Over the next year we will | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal $29 million | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF MELBOURNE ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 | Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal heritage review | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |