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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Procurement Policy | Locally-sourced Healthy Food Council is committed to the purchase of healthy food, where possible seasonal and locally sourced, for Council events, programs and services to enable people to make better food choices. Good nutrition is fundamental to health and aligns with Councils requirement to support public health and wellbeing, as outlined in the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan. | Health and Wellbeing | Healthy/sustainable LG food procurement policies | Victoria | Casey | Metropolitan |
| Procurement Policy | Locally-sourced Healthy Food Council is committed to the purchase of healthy food, where possible seasonal and locally sourced, for Council events, programs and services to enable people to make better food choices | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | Victoria | Casey | Metropolitan |
| PROCUREMENT POLICY | Buy Fairtrade Fairtrade products are given consideration where practical. These are products labelled as Fairtrade or produced under Fairtrade conditions. Fairtrade is an internationally recognised trading system that ensures decent working conditions, local sustainability, gender equity and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. Fairtrade certification ensures that small-scale farmers and plantation workers work under safe conditions and receive a fair price for their crops and labour. Fairtrade actively encourages better environmental practices such as organic production methods. | Health and Wellbeing | Healthy/sustainable LG food procurement policies | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| PROCUREMENT POLICY | Buy Fairtrade Fairtrade products are given consideration where practical. These are products labelled as Fairtrade or produced under Fairtrade conditions. Fairtrade is an internationally recognised trading system that ensures decent working conditions, local sustainability, gender equity and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. Fairtrade certification ensures that small-scale farmers and plantation workers work under safe conditions and receive a fair price for their crops and labour. Fairtrade actively encourages better environmental practices such as organic production methods | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| Procurement Policy | where practicable, Council will procure certified products (e.g. tea, coffee, chocolate, garments) which support farmers, their families and communities in developing nations in receiving more stable and secure incomes, better working conditions, and enhanced investment in quality and local environmental sustainability. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | Victoria | Boroondara | Metropolitan |
| PRODUCTIVITY AND CENTRES STRATEGY | Boutique, craft or artisan food and drink products are increasingly popular among consumers who want an alternative to mass-manufactured offerings. Craft and locally produced goods support industries such as tourism and hospitality, as well as providing local employment. Similarly, there has been an increase in the popularity of small bars and restaurants. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| PRODUCTIVITY AND CENTRES STRATEGY | However, there are opportunities for rural industry growth with horticulture moving towards more intensive modes of production such as hydroponics within greenhouses. We will focus on forging links with Western Sydney University’s Greenhouse Research Education Training Facility at its Hawkesbury Campus and work with the NSW Government to facilitate the delivery of the Outer Sydney Orbital. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| PRODUCTIVITY AND CENTRES STRATEGY | Industrial and urban services land contains a range of land uses including panel beaters, mechanics, lawn-mower repairers, small-scale manufacturing companies, children’s play facilities, food preparation and catering facilities | Economic Development | Food related job creation | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| PRODUCTIVITY AND CENTRES STRATEGY | Seek a university presence in the Shire and closer connections to facilities at Parramatta and Hawkesbury to support the knowledge economy and the agricultural sector. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| PRODUCTIVITY AND CENTRES STRATEGY | The rural landscape of the Shire and proximity to the Hawkesbury River provide opportunities to further develop tourism in the rural area, such as caravan parks, camping grounds and water-based recreation. Farm stay experiences, fruit picking, quality restaurants and cafes, markets, nurseries and golf courses throughout the area also attract visitors and provide a base to the visitor economy. | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| PRODUCTIVITY AND CENTRES STRATEGY | Boutique, craft or artisan food and drink products are increasingly popular among consumers who want an alternative to mass-manufactured offerings. Craft and locally produced goods support industries such as tourism and hospitality, as well as providing local employment. Similarly, there has been an increase in the popularity of small bars and restaurants. | Economic Development | Local food producers | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| PRODUCTIVITY AND CENTRES STRATEGY | Beyond entertainment needs, night-time economy provides opportunities for out of hours retailing for essential services including supermarkets, | Health and Wellbeing | Accessible healthy food retail | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| PRODUCTIVITY AND CENTRES STRATEGY | Reinforce the hierarchy of centres in decision making. This will require all new development proposals to support the hierarchy, with major development applications or planning proposals subject to detailed economic impact assessment. This will be required under our development control plans (DCPs), with an additional control to require applicants to demonstrate how their proposal delivers or does not prevent the future achievement of the envisaged centre outcome in terms of number of supermarkets, discount department stores and department stores. | Health and Wellbeing | Accessible healthy food retail | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| PRODUCTIVITY AND CENTRES STRATEGY | The Standard Instrument LEP was amended mid-2018, giving effect to changes to retail-related land use definitions in order to remove impediments to the retail sector. This included the introduction of a new land use term for neighbourhood supermarkets that allows for smaller format supermarkets (up to 1000m2 ) in the B1 Neighbourhood Centre zone. This new definition provides opportunity to review permissible uses to ensure that the permitted uses are in keeping with the small scale objective of neighbourhood centres. | Health and Wellbeing | Accessible healthy food retail | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| Prosperous Kingston A framework for economic sustainability | Alignment with Plan Melbourne’s ‘20 Minute City’ is exceptionally strong given that this ‘employment selfcontainment’ reduces travel times, road congestion, carbon emissions and provides a better work / life balance to residents of the region. | Health and Wellbeing | Accessible healthy food retail | Victoria | Kingston | Metropolitan |
| Prosperous Kingston A framework for economic sustainability | Business model innovation Foster greater understanding of emerging opportunities associated with new ways of doing business. Conduct monthly farmers’ market to provide small food manufacturers with a direct route to consumers. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | Victoria | Kingston | Metropolitan |
| Prosperous Kingston A framework for economic sustainability | Collaborate with neighbouring municipalities to capitalise on the strength of the food processing and distribution sectors in this region. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | Victoria | Kingston | Metropolitan |
| Prosperous Kingston A framework for economic sustainability | Collaborate with neighbouring municipalities to capitalise on the strength of the food processing and distribution sectors in this region. | Sustainability and Environment | Local, sustainable food processing | Victoria | Kingston | Metropolitan |
| Prosperous Kingston A framework for economic sustainability | Collaborate with neighbouring municipalities to capitalise on the strength of the food processing and distribution sectors in this region. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | Victoria | Kingston | Metropolitan |
| Prosperous Kingston A framework for economic sustainability | Business model innovation Foster greater understanding of emerging opportunities associated with new ways of doing business. Conduct monthly farmers’ market to provide small food manufacturers with a direct route to consumers. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Kingston | Metropolitan |
| Prosperous Kingston A framework for economic sustainability | Small niche food manufacturers have a low cost sales opportunity. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Kingston | Metropolitan |
| Prosperous Kingston A framework for economic sustainability | Food related businesses are assisted to leverage export market opportunities particularly those associated with Free Trade Agreements. | Economic Development | Local food producers | Victoria | Kingston | Metropolitan |
| Protect. Create. Live Northern Beaches Environment and Climate Change Strategy 2040 | 7.4 Reduce waste to landfill through service delivery, including diverting food and green waste to composting, and provision of recycling alternatives and educating the community in ways to minimise waste production at home and maximise recycling | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Northern Beaches | Metropolitan |
| Protect. Create. Live Northern Beaches Environment and Climate Change Strategy 2040 | Climate Change Mitigation Greenhouse gas emissions drive climate change with emissions being predominantly generated through electricity and gas usage, transport choices and waste generation. As a community the Northern Beaches contributes almost 2 million tonnes of emissions from these sources annually. Our first priority as a community is to commit to mitigating the future impacts of climate change by reducing our emissions. We will do this by changing the way we live, how we develop and by adopting creative solutions. It is also important that we address the emissions created in producing and transporting the food we eat, clothes we wear etc. and we aim to reduce over consumption and food wastage | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | NSW | Northern Beaches | Metropolitan |
| Protect. Create. Live Northern Beaches Environment and Climate Change Strategy 2040 | 7.2 Minimise the use of single use plastic and disposable items by promoting use of reusable items | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Northern Beaches | Metropolitan |
| Protect. Create. Live Northern Beaches Environment and Climate Change Strategy 2040 | 7.4 Reduce waste to landfill through service delivery, including diverting food and green waste to composting, and provision of recycling alternatives and educating the community in ways to minimise waste production at home and maximise recycling | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Northern Beaches | Metropolitan |
| Protect. Create. Live Northern Beaches Environment and Climate Change Strategy 2040 | Actively working to keep single use plastics and other litter off our coast | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Northern Beaches | Metropolitan |
| Protect. Create. Live Northern Beaches Environment and Climate Change Strategy 2040 | Actively working to keep single use plastics and other litter out of our network | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Northern Beaches | Metropolitan |
| Protect. Create. Live Northern Beaches Environment and Climate Change Strategy 2040 | Climate Change Mitigation Greenhouse gas emissions drive climate change with emissions being predominantly generated through electricity and gas usage, transport choices and waste generation. As a community the Northern Beaches contributes almost 2 million tonnes of emissions from these sources annually. Our first priority as a community is to commit to mitigating the future impacts of climate change by reducing our emissions. We will do this by changing the way we live, how we develop and by adopting creative solutions. It is also important that we address the emissions created in producing and transporting the food we eat, clothes we wear etc. and we aim to reduce over consumption and food wastage | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Northern Beaches | Metropolitan |
| Protect. Create. Live Northern Beaches Environment and Climate Change Strategy 2040 | Reducing single use plastics | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Northern Beaches | Metropolitan |