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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | 2.2.1. Advocate via Council groups and government organisations (e.g. Barwon South West WRRG, Municipal Association of Victoria, Sustainability Victoria) on issues such as product stewardship programs for hard to recycle materials, plastic pollution, container deposit scheme, additional resourcing, etc. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Around 3,000 tonnes of food and garden waste collected from kerbside and transfer stations is processed annually using an open windrow system. The compost produced is in accordance with the Australian Standard. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Co-located at the landfill are the Corangamite RRC/TS and composting facility which has a processing capacity of up to 10,000 tonnes/year of food and garden waste. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Completed a kitchen caddy and compostable liner trial in 2017 in several townships | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Consider trialling fortnightly waste and weekly FOGO collection services once diversion of food waste has improved | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | 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) | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Explore innovative and costeffective options to increase food waste avoidance and diversion in the community | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Explore innovative and cost-effective options to increase food waste avoidance and diversion in the community | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Explore the feasibility of food waste diversion options for businesses, including a collection service (provided by council or by private collectors) and shared organics compound | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Food organics and garden organics (FOGO) | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Identify opportunities for Council to avoid and minimise waste in its operations, including increasing green purchasing to promote circular economy, trialling a paperless office system, recycling food waste from office kitchens, reducing single-use plastics | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | increasing food waste diversion from households to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfill disposal | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Introduced a fortnightly kerbside food and garden waste bin collection service (with weekly collections between October and December) | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | monitoring emerging waste issues and trends to ensure Corangamite is well prepared for any changes and any impacts are minimised (e.g. Victorian plastic shopping bag ban) | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | 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) | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Subject to the outcomes of the behaviour change program, expand the kitchen caddy and compost liner program to all properties that receive a kerbside collection service to encourage greater food waste diversion | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | 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.) | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Work with local businesses (particularly in the food manufacturing and hospitality sectors) to explore options for reducing and diverting food waste | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy | Ensure appropriate bin infrastructure is available at farmers’ markets and other local events to minimise waste and increase recycling | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Corangamite | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy 2018-22 | Support GCWWRRG’s investigation into increasing the recovery of materials such as wood/timber, agricultural wastes, plastics, textiles, tyres and e-waste. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Ballarat | Regional |
| Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy 2018-22 | Potential to expand to process food organics | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Ballarat | Regional |
| Resource Recovery, Waste Minimisation and Management Strategy | The plan will also allow for flexibility when grant opportunities arise in this area and provide a program for ongoing and regular education in some areas such as use of kerbside recycling and FOGO bins, should FOGO collections be permanently introduced following the trial. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Warrnambool | Regional |
| Resource Recovery, Waste Minimisation and Management Strategy | The Plastic Free Alliance is another example where the council has worked with local environmental groups, including Fishcare South West and Friends of the Merri River Marine Sanctuary to run events and work with schools to raise awareness of the impact of single-use plastics on the marine environment. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Warrnambool | Regional |
| Resource Recovery, Waste Minimisation and Management Strategy | The Sustainable Living Festival has been an integral component of the council’s strategy to educate and inform the public about sustainability. In the past this event has attracted almost 3,000 participants, who can listen to inspirational speakers, learn hands-on skills at workshops, find out about sustainable businesses and products and gather information. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Warrnambool | Regional |
| Resource Recovery, Waste Minimisation and Management Strategy | The Warrnambool Community Garden, Unpackaged, SWAPIT and Loop Studio are four local community organisations dedicated to the reduction and minimisation of waste. The community garden and HUB are living examples of projects which promote sustainable living. The Garden runs workshops on many different topics related to sustainable lifestyles and welcomes members of the public to these events. At the Garden, the HUB and the new shelter exemplify sustainable building principles including orientation of the buildings, building materials and even a worm composting toilet on-site. All organic material generated at the site is composted or fed to the numerous chickens and the chicken manure and compost are used on the gardens, contributing to the bountiful crops harvested from the individual and community plots. Vegetables from the community plot are shared with the community during cooking lessons and community lunches. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Warrnambool | Regional |
| Resource Recovery, Waste Minimisation and Management Strategy | DrumMuster provides Australian agricultural and veterinary chemical users with a collection scheme funded by levies imposed on the sale of farm chemicals and collected by AgStewardship. The scheme has proven successful over a number of years in removing a large number of containers from the waste stream Resource Recovery, Waste Minimisation and Management Strategy 2017 – 2021 and reducing the amount of illegal and inappropriate disposal, while recycling significant amounts of metal and plastic. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Warrnambool | Regional |
| Resource Recovery, Waste Minimisation and Management Strategy | The Garden runs workshops on many different topics related to sustainable lifestyles and welcomes members of the public to these events. At the Garden, the HUB and the new shelter exemplify sustainable building principles including orientation of the buildings, building materials and even a worm composting toilet on-site. All organic material generated at the site is composted or fed to the numerous chickens and the chicken manure and compost are used on the gardens, contributing to the bountiful crops harvested from the individual and community plots. Vegetables from the community plot are shared with the community during cooking lessons and community lunches. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Warrnambool | Regional |
| Resource Recovery, Waste Minimisation and Management Strategy | Community Garden hosted the Dirty Weekend over a sixyear period and continues to provide workshops educating the community about composting, worm farming and other waste reduction and recycling initiatives especially related to foodwaste. | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | Victoria | Warrnambool | Regional |
| Resource Recovery, Waste Minimisation and Management Strategy | The Warrnambool Community Garden, Unpackaged, SWAPIT and Loop Studio are four local community organisations dedicated to the reduction and minimisation of waste. The community garden and HUB are living examples of projects which promote sustainable living. The Garden runs workshops on many different topics related to sustainable lifestyles and welcomes members of the public to these events. At the Garden, the HUB and the new shelter exemplify sustainable building principles including orientation of the buildings, building materials and even a worm composting toilet on-site. All organic material generated at the site is composted or fed to the numerous chickens and the chicken manure and compost are used on the gardens, contributing to the bountiful crops harvested from the individual and community plots. Vegetables from the community plot are shared with the community during cooking lessons and community lunches. | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | Victoria | Warrnambool | Regional |
| Resource Recovery, Waste Minimisation and Management Strategy | Community Garden hosted the Dirty Weekend over a sixyear period and continues to provide workshops educating the community about composting, worm farming and other waste reduction and recycling initiatives especially related to foodwaste. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Warrnambool | Regional |