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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Increase the prevalence of community gardens in the City of Darebin. | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Increase the prevalence of community gardens in the City of Darebin. Create the opportunity for one community garden on public land each year until 2020. | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Provide at least one new community garden facility each year until 2020. | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Residents are encouraged to plant edible plants and trees on their private property and take advantage of community gardening initiatives present in the municipality. Where possible, Council will include edible plants in public landscapes. This includes increasing the number of community gardens, urban orchards and garden beds. | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | The City of Darebin will invest in publically accessible spaces for urban food production and community gardening throughout the municipality. | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | As opportunity presents itself, Darebin City Council will seek out opportunities to enter into long term agreements with landowners to use public land not owned by Council for community benefit as public open space, community gardens, sporting grounds or play spaces. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | As part of Darebin’s long-term food security, health and environmental policies, growing food in the urban context is encouraged and supported. Council provides programs, tools, guidelines and planning to develop the capacity of the community to develop and share knowledge and skills around food growing and environmentally sustainable gardening. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Council will provide increased opportunities for urban food production on public land through increased community gardens and other opportunities to grow edible plant materials in the municipality’s parks and residential streets. A strategy guiding the location, type and proliferation of community gardens should guide this initiative. It is vital that the local community support initiatives to include edible and food producing plants into the urban context, as the maintenance and harvesting of fruit trees cannot be undertaken within existing Council resources and care is best undertaken by those who will be harvesting the food. A list of recommended food production plants is available on Darebin City Council website. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Create and update a recommended list of food production plants and make it available on the Council website. Create and implement an urban food production strategy. Increase the prevalence of community gardens in the City of Darebin. Create the opportunity for one community garden on public land each year until 2020. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Create at least one new opportunity for community gardening in the municipality each financial year until 2020. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Create the opportunity for one community garden on public land each year until 2020. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Darebin City Council commits to increasing the number of opportunities for community gardening and urban food production in the municipality. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Design and install Community Garden | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Edible plants (excluding climbing plants and vines) may be planted on nature strips provided that they meet the Nature Strip Amendment Conditions. However, due to concerns for personal safety, integrity of soil conditions, cleanliness and hygiene, Council does not recommend ingesting any plant material grown on the nature strip. Council’s Public Realm team is available to provide guidance and advice regarding nature strip planting if required. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Identify at least one new opportunity for community gardening in the municipality each financial year until 2020. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Increase the prevalence of community gardens in the City of Darebin. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Provide at least one new community garden facility each year until 2020. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Residents are encouraged to plant edible plants and trees on their private property and take advantage of community gardening initiatives present in the municipality. Where possible, Council will include edible plants in public landscapes. This includes increasing the number of community gardens, urban orchards and garden beds. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | The City of Darebin will invest in publically accessible spaces for urban food production and community gardening throughout the municipality. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Year 4: 2015/2016 Create and update a recommended list of food production plants and make it available on the Council website. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 | Edible plants (excluding climbing plants and vines) may be planted on nature strips provided that they meet the Nature Strip Amendment Conditions. However, due to concerns for personal safety, integrity of soil conditions, cleanliness and hygiene, Council does not recommend ingesting any plant material grown on the nature strip. Council’s Public Realm team is available to provide guidance and advice regarding nature strip planting if required. | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Darebin | Metropolitan |
| Griffith Housing Strategy 2019 | 1 Rationale for the Strategy 1.1 Overview Griffith Council’s Affordable Housing Background Paper1 relevant sets out the evidence that supports the Griffith Housing Strategy, and should be read in conjunction with this Strategy. The section provides a summary of findings on housing demand, supply, need and affordability, and the legislative underpinning of Council’s engagement with affordable housing, as a context for the priority strategies set out in Section 2 below. | Social Policy | Affordable housing | NSW | Griffith | Regional |
| Growing Green Environmental Sustainability Plan | Design new open space and recreational facility infrastructure to minimise waste Include waste minimisation infrastructure, such as recycling bins, waste water reticulation systems and organic waste systems, in all new facilities Design new infrastructure to maximise durability and eventual reuse/recycling of materials components Minimise waste generated through construction works by including waste management, reuse and recycling standards in contract specifications | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| Growth Management Strategy | 4.7 Driver of Change – Agricultural Lands Th e Growth Management Strategy recognises, and is committed to, protecting existing primary producers and to protecting the agricultural potential of land holdings. Th e importance of retaining and attracting viable agriculture within the Sydney Basin is receiving increasing recognition with government authorities, the media and the general community. Retaining local producers and the employment opportunities generated from agricultural enterprises and benefi ts from consumption of local produce are essential to achieving a sustainable future. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | NSW | Wollondilly | Metropolitan |
| Growth Management Strategy | 6.9.3 Agri-business parks Agri-business parks are similar in concept to an industrial area in that they are usually located away from or outside residential areas and are normally provided with good transportation access, including road and rail. Agri-business parks would allow for intensive agricultural enterprises to operate in closed environments, and can be mixed with other agricultural enterprises or light industrial uses. By providing economies of agglomeration individual businesses benefi t through shared infrastructure, support services such as waste management, processing and marketing. Agri-business parks do not require good agricultural land given the use of intensive large scale green house systems and so could occur in industrial zones. Australia does not currently have any agri-business parks, however there is a proposal for one in Devonport, Tasmania known as “Produce from Heaven”. Th is proposal Рthe fi rst of its kind in Australia Рwill combine producers and the private sector and provide shared offi ce facilities, commercial test kitchens and packing facilities. Th ere are many international examples of agri-business parks including in the Netherlands, Singapore and China. Th e F5 freeway corridor may have future potential for these kinds of uses, particularly as Sydney grows and looks more seriously towards sustainable and effi cient food production and general food security issues. Ongoing climate change, new policy approaches to food production and transportation, and rising energy costs may make these kinds of uses viable in the future | Economic Development | Food related job creation | NSW | Wollondilly | Metropolitan |
| Growth Management Strategy | Continuing to ensure that Wollondilly’s planning instruments and development control plans support and encourage the retention and development of rural industries and agri-tourism. | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | NSW | Wollondilly | Metropolitan |
| Growth Management Strategy | 4.7 Driver of Change – Agricultural Lands Th e Growth Management Strategy recognises, and is committed to, protecting existing primary producers and to protecting the agricultural potential of land holdings. Th e importance of retaining and attracting viable agriculture within the Sydney Basin is receiving increasing recognition with government authorities, the media and the general community. Retaining local producers and the employment opportunities generated from agricultural enterprises and benefi ts from consumption of local produce are essential to achieving a sustainable future. | Economic Development | Local food producers | NSW | Wollondilly | Metropolitan |
| Growth Management Strategy | 6.9.3 Agri-business parks Agri-business parks are similar in concept to an industrial area in that they are usually located away from or outside residential areas and are normally provided with good transportation access, including road and rail. Agri-business parks would allow for intensive agricultural enterprises to operate in closed environments, and can be mixed with other agricultural enterprises or light industrial uses. By providing economies of agglomeration individual businesses benefi t through shared infrastructure, support services such as waste management, processing and marketing. Agri-business parks do not require good agricultural land given the use of intensive large scale green house systems and so could occur in industrial zones. Australia does not currently have any agri-business parks, however there is a proposal for one in Devonport, Tasmania known as “Produce from Heaven”. Th is proposal Рthe fi rst of its kind in Australia Рwill combine producers and the private sector and provide shared offi ce facilities, commercial test kitchens and packing facilities. Th ere are many international examples of agri-business parks including in the Netherlands, Singapore and China. Th e F5 freeway corridor may have future potential for these kinds of uses, particularly as Sydney grows and looks more seriously towards sustainable and effi cient food production and general food security issues. Ongoing climate change, new policy approaches to food production and transportation, and rising energy costs may make these kinds of uses viable in the future | Economic Development | Local food producers | NSW | Wollondilly | Metropolitan |
| Growth Management Strategy | 6.9.5 Initiatives and Strategies to promote agriculture Wollondilly Council is committed to maintaining and further developing agricultural industry and through its Rural Industry Liaison Committee will be pursuing the following initiatives: • Developing a specifi c Agricultural Industry Development Strategy, the aim of which will be to attract and develop rural industry. • Working with key stakeholder groups to attract and develop rural industry. • • Investigating the potential for agri-business parks (as discussed above). Investigating the potential for agricultural industry “clusters”. • Promotion of best-practice modern sustainable farming techniques and agricultural uses of rural land. • • Continuing to promote local food production as a positive step towards planning for climate change and food security to support a growing population in the Sydney Basin. | Economic Development | Local food producers | NSW | Wollondilly | Metropolitan |
| Growth Management Strategy | P8 Council will support the delivery of a mix of housing types to assist housing diversity and aff ordability so that Wollondilly can better accommodate the housing needs of its diff erent community members and household types. | Social Policy | Affordable housing | NSW | Wollondilly | Metropolitan |