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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | Strategy No. 2A Strategy Support local markets and other local outlets for the sale of QueanbeyanPalerang produce. Action No. Action 2A1 Review fees and costs for markets that focus on local produce sales to possibly grant reductions or fee waivers where market organisations invest the savings in training, market development programs or similar economic development benefits. 2B Ensure there is an adequate supply and diversity of small lot farms to meet emerging needs of boutique producers. 2B1 Ensure there is a proportion of new rural residential opportunities on class 2 to 4 agricultural land – but only where it is subdivided from fragmented areas. Create a larger minimum lot size for some small lot farming areas – say 16 ha. 2C Improve access to water for small lot agriculture. 2C1 Liaise with NSW Water to determine the opportunities for further small scale irrigation operations or better use of existing water resources. 2D Improve the skills and training opportunities for both new and 2D1 Facilitate education and training programs in small lot farming, | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | Strategy No. Strategy established boutique farmers. Action No. Action weed and pest management and emerging rural food and fibre markets. 2D2 2E Facilitate improved access for Queanbeyan-Palerang producers to the Canberra markets and other sales outlets. 2E1 Continue to co-operate with Southern Harvest to further assist local food and fibre initiatives. Liaise with ACT Government for increased opportunities for marketing. 2E2 2F Promote boutique farming 2F1 Assist local groups develop shared transport and stall management. Integrate local food and fibre production information into Council community and tourist information websites. 2F2 Promote Queanbeyan-Palerang as a place where small scale agriculture is encouraged 2F3 Develop a self-help DA kit specifically aimed at clarifying planning guidelines on exempt and low scale development and the works most commonly sought by small agricultural producers. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | Support boutique agriculture Background to the principle Local food and fibre initiatives show considerable potential in the former Palerang LGA given the expanding interest in fresh local food in the Canberra region. Activities at the boutique scale range from hobby production associated with rural living through to parttime and even a few emerging full-time small lot farms with value added rural products. Encouraging boutique farming will be beneficial to the general Queanbeyan-Palerang economy, improve the diversity of local food choice and contribute to employment, in particular part-time and supplementary income for rural residents. Boutique farming will also assist in maximising lifestyle options and potential. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | Support broadscale agriculture on suitable land Background to the principle Commercial broadscale agricultural industries are a vital part of the rural and QueanbeyanPalerang economy. Part-time commercial agriculture is increasing with the number of full-time farms declining however, an economy of scale is needed to ensure commercial return. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | Support lifestyle living and working (even if the urban areas such as Bungendore increase in size). Background to the principle The majority of people in non-urban areas in the western part of the former Palerang LGA choose to live in a rural environment and commute to their employment rather than live and work in the same urban environment. This trend extends to areas beyond Captains Flat and surrounding Braidwood and the village of Majors Creek. However, the model of commuter driven work is likely to change. Increasingly, home-based work may be possible for people in rural areas as the speed of the internet increases. Additionally, there is growth in the range of home and small scale businesses able to be conducted from rural properties and part-time commercial agriculture is becoming the norm. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | The development of a land use strategy for each of the following economic initiatives: – – – emerging niche agricultural industries | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | the protection and enhancement of commercial and emerging agriculture in the former Palerang LGA | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | The Rural Lands Strategy provides a strategic direction for rural, rural residential and environmental land in the former Palerang LGA from 2016 to 2036. The Strategy seeks to find a balance between the competing pressures from a diverse range of land uses and to protect the agricultural, environmental, and landscape values of the former Palerang non-urban lands. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | To assist with the development of a secure and positive future for commercial agriculture in the former Palerang LGA | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | 2C1 Liaise with NSW Water to determine the opportunities for further small scale irrigation operations or better use of existing water resources. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | Outwardly, few people interviewed for the Rural Lands Study have raised water as a major issue linked to rural residential development, but it was an issue in some of the submissions on the draft LEP 2012. However, environmental monitoring by Council is identifying worrying trends in catchment flow reductions. The tendency for encouraging the regeneration of native vegetation on many rural living estates has created bushfire issues which then generate further water storage needs for fire suppression. The major impacts of climate change on water availability seem to be mostly beyond the 2036 horizon of this Study, but all indications are that serious consideration of the implications needs to be under way now. For example, while average catchment runoff is predicted to decline by around 10% by 2030, the estimates range from at least 25% to 50% by 2070. Agriculture and other rural lifestyle options are heavily dependent on this run-off for all aspects of their operation – from stock and domestic water to bushfire protection – and bushfire frequency and intensity are predicted to rise. The PLEP contains drinking water catchment overlay mapping for the three main drinking water catchments of Googong, Captains Flat and Sydney. It also contains riparian lands and watercourses overlays. These overlays and the related PLEP clauses are considered in association with the assessment of development applications. Further intensive rural small property development in the Googong and Captains Flat catchments should be avoided but some lower density, small lot farm infill may be acceptable. In the large Sydney catchment, development intensification should be well buffered from waterways. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | Provide a range of options for people to live in a rural environment Background to the principle Interests in rural residential options range from a desire for a dwelling with a small area to have a pony and a large household vegetable garden to a property which can provide part-time agricultural opportunities to substantial properties which are operated on a full-time basis. Five major categories of rural land use types have been identified in the Strategy (refer to Section 5 for detail). • Rural residential o Hamlet o Rural living o Small lot agriculture • Rural • Environmental land | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | Conventional beef and sheep operations generate 77% of the gross agricultural production value of the former Palerang (Palerang Rural Lands Study Report, 2015, p.151). There is little evidence that there will be any significant change to the commercial dominance of traditional agriculture. However, there are new broader initiatives like organic products and grass fed beef which have some growth potential and may influence future styles of beef and sheep production. | Sustainability and Environment | Animal husbandry | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | 1D Facilitate economic development related to commercial broadscale agriculture. 1D1 Support agricultural economic development opportunities. Support industry applications for grant/research. 1D2 Utilise Council webpage for promoting commercial agricultural opportunities. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | Defining commercial agriculture and measures to protect it is not simple in an area with the competing land use pressures of the former Palerang LGA. It is inappropriate for Council to set lot size controls based on a ‘full-time income’ from a rural property. Many properties from 100 ha upward make some agricultural contribution as do some smaller ones (less than 100 ha) in areas where land quality is high and where the operator is successful in value adding. However, many properties under about 50 ha 12 would struggle to make any meaningful commercial income from traditional sheep or cattle grazing. | Sustainability and Environment | Animal husbandry | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | 6.2 PRINCIPLE TWO: SUPPORT BOUTIQUE AGRICULTURE | Economic Development | Food related job creation | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | 2E Facilitate improved access for Queanbeyan-Palerang producers to the Canberra markets and other sales outlets. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | Improve the skills and training opportunities for both new and | Economic Development | Food related job creation | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | 2F1 Assist local groups develop shared transport and stall management. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | Support boutique agriculture Background to the principle Local food and fibre initiatives show considerable potential in the former Palerang LGA given the expanding interest in fresh local food in the Canberra region. Activities at the boutique scale range from hobby production associated with rural living through to parttime and even a few emerging full-time small lot farms with value added rural products. Encouraging boutique farming will be beneficial to the general Queanbeyan-Palerang economy, improve the diversity of local food choice and contribute to employment, in particular part-time and supplementary income for rural residents. Boutique farming will also assist in maximising lifestyle options and potential. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | Assist local groups develop shared transport and stall management. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | Support lifestyle living and working (even if the urban areas such as Bungendore increase in size). Background to the principle The majority of people in non-urban areas in the western part of the former Palerang LGA choose to live in a rural environment and commute to their employment rather than live and work in the same urban environment. This trend extends to areas beyond Captains Flat and surrounding Braidwood and the village of Majors Creek. However, the model of commuter driven work is likely to change. Increasingly, home-based work may be possible for people in rural areas as the speed of the internet increases. Additionally, there is growth in the range of home and small scale businesses able to be conducted from rural properties and part-time commercial agriculture is becoming the norm. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | The success of these producers is partly due to their proximity to Canberra as their produce is usually sold at farmer’s markets in Canberra at the Capital Region Farmers Market, the North Side Farmers Market and the South Side Farmers Market as well as at the Braidwood and Bungendore Farmers Markets. There is scope to encourage more local retailers to stock local food products. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | 7C2 In Council’s economic development promotion for rural areas, give emphasis to promoting rural tourism initiatives associated with markets, local food, rural heritage and short stay boutique accommodation. | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | 1E Commence strategies to prepare commercial agriculture for climate change impacts and where possible mitigate adverse impacts. | Sustainability and Environment | Food supply and food system resilience | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | Council already permits (with consent) roadside stalls and cellar door sales across the RU1 Primary Production, R5 Large Lot Residential and E4 Environmental Living land use zones and home industries are also permissible – which allows for ‘on farm’ produced and value added products to be retailed ‘farm door’. Council also permits business identification signs subject to development consent. | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | There is also an increasing interest in boutique agricultural activities and the ’provenance‘ of food (i.e. mapping out to the consumer where food products come from and how they are produced | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | There is scope to encourage more local retailers to stock local food products. | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | boutique agriculture (except intensive animal) can be undertaken on lots and the produce sold at local markets | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Palerang Rural Lands Strategy | Facilitate improved access for Queanbeyan-Palerang producers to the Canberra markets and other sales outlets. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |