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).
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Hold Ctrl to select multiple terms. Using ‘any words’ functions as an “OR” search. Using ‘all words’ functions as and “AND” search.
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| Document title | Relevant text in the policy | Domain | Topic | State | Local Government name | Council type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 Strategic Action Plan | Support and participate in initiatives and opportunities that advocate for reduced packaging | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 Strategic Action Plan | Support the reduction of single use plastics in Stonnington. 2.3.1 Plastic wise Council a. Develop and implement a program to support Council and the community to reduce the use and distribution of single use plastic items. b. Create awareness on the harmful effects of plastic on the environment. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 | Council also delivers educational programs for Stonnington residents across a range of sustainability topics including home composting, energy efficiency, communal gardening and waste management | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 | Council also delivers educational programs for Stonnington residents across a range of sustainability topics including home composting, energy efficiency, communal gardening and waste management. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 | Council supports residents to reduce the amount of food waste sent to landfill through targeted events, education and programs | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 | Support the reduction of single use plastics in Stonnington. 2.3.1 Plastic wise Council a. Develop and implement a program to support Council and the community to reduce the use and distribution of single use plastic items. b. Create awareness on the harmful effects of plastic on the environment. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 | Stonnington’s planning application process requires developers to include Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) considerations within their applications. This requirement has now been incorporated into the Stonnington Planning Scheme as a Local ESD Policy, part of which supports urban ecology initiatives including communal spaces, vegetation, food production and green walls, roofs and facades. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 | Council also delivers educational programs for Stonnington residents across a range of sustainability topics including home composting, energy efficiency, communal gardening and waste management. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 | Stonnington’s planning application process requires developers to include Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) considerations within their applications. This requirement has now been incorporated into the Stonnington Planning Scheme as a Local ESD Policy, part of which supports urban ecology initiatives including communal spaces, vegetation, food production and green walls, roofs and facades. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 | 2.8 increase the diversion of food waste from landfill | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 | Council also delivers educational programs for Stonnington residents across a range of sustainability topics including home composting, energy efficiency, communal gardening and waste management. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 | Council excludes the use of single-use light-weight plastic bags at Council events and activities and is working with the Stonnington community to explore ways to reduce all single use plastics in Stonnington. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 | Council supports residents to reduce the amount of food waste sent to landfill through targeted events, education and programs. Council is also exploring a number of solutions to support targeted groups to recycle food waste onsite as well as initiatives for the wider community. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 | Council will also continue to explore options for using recycled materials to ‘close the loop’, for example, compost and energy can be created from organic waste, recycled glass and soft plastics can be used in road bases and recycled plastic can be turned into boardwalks, street furniture and bollards. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 | support the reduction of single use plastics in Stonnington | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| City of Stonnington Sustainable Environment Strategy 2018–2023 | Support the reduction of single use plastics in Stonnington. 2.3.1 Plastic wise Council a. Develop and implement a program to support Council and the community to reduce the use and distribution of single use plastic items. b. Create awareness on the harmful effects of plastic on the environment. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Stonnington | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF WHITEHORSE Annual Report 2018/2019 | 13 meetings and advocacy activities as part of Council’s participation on the Eastern Affordable Housing Alliance | Social Policy | Affordable housing | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF WHITEHORSE Annual Report 2018/2019 | Advocate for greater housing diversity including affordable and social housing. | Social Policy | Affordable housing | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF WHITEHORSE Annual Report 2018/2019 | Council adopted the Student Accommodation Strategy with next steps being future planning scheme amendments. A grant from the state government is facilitating background work and a policy for affordable housing. | Social Policy | Affordable housing | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF WHITEHORSE Annual Report 2018/2019 | Nine schools completed composting workshops and Council grants were awarded to 17 schools and early learning centres to undertake sustainable and waste reduction projects at their school or kindergarten. Council also sponsored 11 schools participating in the schools program that supported Stephanie Alexander’s Kitchen Garden program. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF WHITEHORSE Annual Report 2018/2019 | One of the actions delivered this year includes the Sustainable Living Week program 29 May to 6 June. Over 1800 people attended 27 diverse workshops and activities on topics ranging from energy-saving measures, solar energy, gardening, nature play, waste-free living, coral reef conservation, wildlife photography and the joy of minimalism. Practical advice about making your home more sustainable (potentially even getting offgrid), caring for indoor plants, environmentally sustainable design for buildings, and how to recognise edible weeds were all added to the mix of interesting and well attended activities. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF WHITEHORSE Annual Report 2018/2019 | Whitehorse City Council ensures there is a focus on health and wellbeing to support and promote a safe, healthy and productive work environment. The aim is to encourage self-engagement and motivation to adopt healthy habits which are beneficial for a healthy work–life balance. During 2018/19, Council promoted a calendar of targeted health and wellbeing initiatives focused on identified areas of need. These included: physical activity, healthy eating, smoking, alcohol and mental health. The health and wellbeing of staff and associated initiatives have received further support in 2018/19 with the addition of a temporary Health and Wellbeing Officer within the Risk, Health and Safety Team. | Health and Wellbeing | Healthy eating by LG staff | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF WHITEHORSE Annual Report 2018/2019 | Council also sponsored 11 schools participating in the schools program that supported Stephanie Alexander’s Kitchen Garden program. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF WHITEHORSE Annual Report 2018/2019 | One of the actions delivered this year includes the Sustainable Living Week program 29 May to 6 June. Over 1800 people attended 27 diverse workshops and activities on topics ranging from energy-saving measures, solar energy, gardening, nature play, waste-free living, coral reef conservation, wildlife photography and the joy of minimalism. Practical advice about making your home more sustainable (potentially even getting offgrid), caring for indoor plants, environmentally sustainable design for buildings, and how to recognise edible weeds were all added to the mix of interesting and well attended activities. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF WHITEHORSE Annual Report 2018/2019 | Nine schools completed composting workshops and Council grants were awarded to 17 schools and early learning centres to undertake sustainable and waste reduction projects at their school or kindergarten. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF WHITEHORSE Annual Report 2018/2019 | Undertook food waste recycling at the 2018 Spring Festival, reducing the amount of waste that previously would go to landfill. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF WHITEHORSE Annual Report 2018/2019 | 1275 registered food premises | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF WHITEHORSE Annual Report 2018/2019 | Food safety Health and safety Critical and major non-compliance notifications [Number of critical non-compliance notifications and major noncompliance notifications about a food premises followed up / Number of critical non-compliance notifications and major non-compliance notifications about food premises] X 100 | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF WHITEHORSE Annual Report 2018/2019 | food safety management, communicable | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| CITY OF WHITEHORSE Annual Report 2018/2019 | Food Safety Timeliness Time taken to action food complaints [Number of days between receipt and first response action for all food complaints/Number of food complaints] 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] Service Cost Cost of food safety service [Direct cost of the food safety service/Number of food premises registered or notified in accordance with the Food Act 1984] Health and Safety Critical and major non-compliance 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 noncompliance notifications about food premises] Material Variation and Comments 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 1.88 2.03 1.63 1.70 Council is committed to responding to food safety related complaints in a timely manner and continues to follow up these requests well below the nominated target of 2.5 days. 100.88% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% As of 31 December 2019 there were 874 registered class 1 and class 2 food premises for which 874 annual food safety assessments were conducted. We continue to see a rise in registered food premises each year. $513.09 $508.84 $556.40 $546.58 Actuals will vary in accordance with staff levels, timing of activities and conducting legal enforcement. Costs remain steady over the years and are partially offset with any increase in food premises registrations. 98.97% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% Consistent results demonstrate Council’s commitment to the health and safety of the community. All 99 major and critical non-compliances identified were followed up in accordance with operational policy. | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |