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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resilient Melbourne | In contributing to this objective, we will support actions that: • trial new ways of providing community infrastructure and services, such as housing, transport and energy (see new apartments trial for social housing residents) | Social Policy | Affordable housing | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| Resilient Melbourne | New apartments trial for public housing residents | Social Policy | Affordable housing | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| Resilient Melbourne | Next steps Melbourne Apartments Project and Resilient Melbourne Delivery Office determine immediate opportunities and ways to scale-up and replicate the project. By late-2016: • Establish method for selecting sites and partners. • Run information seminar describing outcomes and opportunities for potential partners. • Determine initial councils and development opportunities for first replication of the existing project From mid-2017 • Start planning and approval processes and begin construction • Monitor and report on outcomes and lessons learnt. | Social Policy | Affordable housing | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| Resilient Melbourne | Supporting action – New apartments trial for public housing residents The Resilient Melbourne Delivery Office will support efforts to replicate a new development that puts home ownership within reach of more public housing tenants. | Social Policy | Affordable housing | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| Resilient Melbourne | The action The Melbourne Apartments Project (MAP) will put home ownership within reach of more public housing tenants and provide a funding stream for the development of further similar projects. A pilot project is already under way at one site in inner Melbourne, where new two- and three-bedroom apartments are being offered solely to social housing tenants who meet specific eligibility criteria. Having assessed this approach, we believe it could be replicated in a number of areas around Melbourne, and the Resilient Melbourne Delivery Office is working with partners to identify sites and funding for further developments. The current pilot project is being run on a not-for-profit basis. This means no GST (goods and services tax) is payable and marketing costs are negligible, so properties can be offered for a significantly lower price – approximately 35 per cent below market value. An innovative financing method rewards purchasers for each of the first four years they reside in the property. The Resilient Melbourne Delivery Office is working with the creators and financial backers of MAP to identify new locations and partners to turn an innovative pilot into something able to address a systemic challenge. | Social Policy | Affordable housing | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| Resilient Melbourne | This can result in these individuals remaining in social housing indefinitely, or buying homes in more affordable outer suburban areas, where they have no community connections. Primary resilience objective Create and sustain buildings, infrastructure and activities that promote social cohesion, equal opportunity, and health | Social Policy | Affordable housing | Victoria | Melbourne | Metropolitan |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | Continue to meet regularly with Plasticwise and other applicable community groups to support their community education efforts. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | To reduce, and eventually eliminate single use plastics from within council operations and at council events. A commitment to advocacy and educating and promoting voluntary adoption of the Policy in the community. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | Volunteer community groups focused on waste in Indigo Shire play a significant role in waste education. Plasticwise groups operate in several towns and have run many successful campaigns, engaging businesses and the community directly, i.e. Proud to be Plasticwise campaign. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | 66% of our waste is diverted from landfill – as a result of the FOGO bins and the community’s recycling efforts. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | Adopted a Plasticwise Policy is 2018, in response to community aspirations, as one of the first Councils in the state to do so. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | Community engagement ISC is fortunate to have a community that is highly engaged in responsible waste management. 99% of survey respondents stated they were either very confident or usually confident about knowing how to segregate their waste. Several volunteer community groups in the Shire actively work on campaigns aligned with the waste hierarchy, including: Plasticwise Yackandandah Plasticwise Beechworth Plasticwise Chiltern Plasticwise Stanley | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | Continue to assess new areas to be added to the FOGO collection area. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | Continue to meet regularly with Plasticwise and other applicable community groups to support their community education efforts. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | Food and garden organics | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | Prepare a documented policy on the waste service (including FOGO) to communicate the no-exemptions position and the reasons for this. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | Prepare a documented policy on the waste service (including FOGO) to communicate the no-exemptions position and the reasons for this. Continue to assess new areas to be added to the FOGO collection area. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | Recent achievements: Introduction of the FOGO (food organics and garden organics) service in 2015, as one of the first councils in the state to do so. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | Soft plastics collection and recycling No recycling processor willing to take the material currently. No further RedCycle collection points feasible for RedCycle to service in Indigo Shire. Pursue regional collection and recycling opportunities via NEWRRG | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | Some respondents in the community survey were concerned that the FOGO waste is not processed locally. Cleanaway have tried unsuccessfully for several years to establish an organics processing facility within the region, and continue to pursue more local opportunities. The greenhouse gas emissions benefits of transporting the FOGO so it can be composted, compared with travelling less distance to be landfilled, are very favourable. The trucks would have to travel all the way around Australia to generate the same emissions as landfilling would create compared with composting (in Shepparton or Wagga Wagga). A new organics composting facility is being developed by Rural City of Wangaratta, which may provide a future option for closer composting of FOGO. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | Support the FOGO collection EOI. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | The e-waste ban to landfill that has already been announced to take effect, as well as a likely ban on plastic bags, and a possible container deposit scheme; and | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | To reduce, and eventually eliminate single use plastics from within council operations and at council events. A commitment to advocacy and educating and promoting voluntary adoption of the Policy in the community. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery & Waste Management Strategy | Volunteer community groups focused on waste in Indigo Shire play a significant role in waste education. Plasticwise groups operate in several towns and have run many successful campaigns, engaging businesses and the community directly, i.e. Proud to be Plasticwise campaign. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Indigo | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Expand education programs to businesses to encourage less waste generation and recycling contamination and increased food waste diversion (e.g. by taking food waste to Corangamite Regional Landfill for composting) | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Re-develop and implement education campaigns and update as necessary to enable behaviour change around the main waste issues (e.g. contamination, correct bin use and food waste diversion) and inform the community on emerging issues (e.g. e-waste ban, single-use plastic bag ban) | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Support and participate in regional and state waste avoidance and minimisation programs (such as Sustainability Victoria’s Love Food Hate Waste, sustainable/green shopping etc.) | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Materials that currently can be dropped off free of charge include: • car batteries • e-waste • drumMUSTER agricultural chemical containers | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Explore innovative and costeffective options to increase food waste avoidance and diversion in the community | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Explore innovative and costeffective options to increase food waste avoidance and diversion in the community | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |