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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | found that most lots are part of larger holdings. Consolidation of lots will be encouraged in areas identified for commercial agriculture that have been substantially subdivided. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Further subdivision will be rarely required given the large supply of lots at a range of sizes and the trend in increasing scale. Lots should be maintained in sizes suited to broad acre agriculture and creation of small lots will be strongly discouraged. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | It is policy to: § Strongly discourage “small lot” subdivision unless the balance lot is at least the minimum lot size and is of a size sufficient to support a viable agricultural enterprise. Require that the excision of a dwelling be through the re-subdivision of existing lots such that the number of lots is not increased. Excision through subdivision that increases the number of lots will be strongly discouraged. § Require the landowner to enter into an agreement under Section 173 of the Act, which prevents the construction of a dwelling on the residual lot and prevents further subdivision of any lot so as to create another lot for an existing or future dwelling. § Require the landowner of the dwelling lot to enter an agreement under Section 173 of the Act that they acknowledge that: – The area has intensive agricultural uses operating in it. The land and its occupants may experience off site rural activity effects, including noise, sprays and dust that may cause a loss of residential amenity. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | KEY STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS The key strategic directions are to: § Detail planning controls that provide clear direction for use and development of rural land. § § Support commercial agriculture and associated rural industries that will maintain and build the economic base. Protect Farmland of Strategic Significance by strongly discouraging fragmentation and non-productive uses including dwellings unrelated to the agricultural use of the land. § § Protect and maintain the existing rural character by clear definitions and distinctions between rural and urban areas. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Organic horticultural production is a growing sector and SHRCC has a competitive advantage for organic production due to its hot, dry climate that Promote and encourage commercial scale horticulture and other irrigated agriculture Protect Farmland of reduces disease risk, particularly fungal diseases and separation from other horticultural districts that reduces risk of disease transfer. Proximity to nonorganic neighbours should not limit the ability to establish and maintain an organic vegetable growing enterprise if there is strict adherence to agricultural chemical labelling and regulations. However, de-certification may occur if chemical contamination of produce occurs. Lot sizes that facilitate separation of organic and conventional enterprises and are of sufficient scale to include buffer zones such as windbreaks or uncertified cropping areas can reduce the risk of contamination. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Planning policy can support agriculture by: § Clearly identifying locations where commercial agriculture will be the primary land use and providing supporting policy to prevent fragmentation, promote increasing scale and intensification. § Providing opportunities for rural residential and rural tourism in appropriate locations to minimise conflict with commercial agriculture. § Ensuring that there is separation between commercial agriculture, particularly intensive agriculture and other non-agricultural uses. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Planning policy can support irrigated agriculture and promote further irrigation development by ensuring land proximate to the irrigation backbone and Murray River is clearly identified as an area where commercial agriculture will be the primary land use and include supporting policy to prevent fragmentation. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Planning policy should support agriculture to adapt to the impacts of climate change by: providing for horticultural crop protection measures; shedding for livestock; ensuring land with access to irrigation supply infrastructure is retained in land units suited to agriculture. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Planning policy should support protection of Farmland of Strategic Significance to facilitate economic and industry development. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Planning Practice Note 42 (PPN 42) Applying the Rural Zones describes the main features of the Farming Zone as follows: § § The Farming Zone is appropriate, and will be considered, in situations where: § Commercial agricultural businesses require certainty about undertaking normal farming practices and need the flexibility to change farming practices in the future § Commercial agriculture is the primary activity in the area and the protection of productive farmland is of primary strategic importance § The farmland is of State, regional or local significance in terms of agricultural production or employment § The farmland has physical attributes that are scarce or essential to sustaining particular agricultural activities § Farming is the dominant land use and all other land uses are subordinate to farming § Farming uses are encouraged to establish and expand with as little restriction as possible, subject to proper safeguards for the environment. § § Non-farm dwellings and land uses not related to farming may be considered but should not limit the operation and expansion of agricultural uses § § Schedule 1 for broadacre farmland and private irrigation diversion areas Schedule 2 for land within older, gazetted irrigation districts (Figure 41). The purposes of the Farming Zone are to: § Farm-related tourism and retailing uses may be considered Uses that could lead to the loss or fragmentation of productive agricultural land, or which could be adversely affected by farming activities, are prohibited Land subdivision that could take farmland out of production or limit future farming productivity is discouraged. Pressures to use and develop land for nonfarming purposes pose a significant threat to the supply and productivity of farmland in the area The scale, nature and intensity of farming uses in the area have the potential to significantly impact upon sensitive land uses, such as housing The efficient and effective use of agricultural infrastructure will be maximised. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Planning Practice Note 422 notes with respect to the Farming Zone that the minimum lot size for subdivision may be tailored to suit the farming practices and productivity of the land. However, at the same time the Zone should: § Encourage agriculture to establish and expand with as little restriction as possible, subject to proper safeguards for the environment. Discourage land subdivision that could take farmland out of production or limit future farming productivity. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Provide for agricultural use consistent with the conservation of environmental and landscape values of the area | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | should support protection Farmland of Strategic Significance to facilitate economic and industry development. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | strategic position. MUNICIPAL STRATEGIC STATEMENT The Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS) will need to be updated with material from this report including relevant explanatory text, objectives and strategies. ZONES FARMING ZONE It is recommended that the Farming Zone be retained on land where it currently applies and two schedules are introduced: § § § § § § Implement the SPPF and the LPPF, including the MSS and local planning policies. Provide for the use of land for agriculture. Encourage the retention of productive agricultural land. Ensure that non-agricultural uses, including dwellings, do not adversely affect the use of land for agriculture. § § Encourage the retention of employment and population to support rural communities. Encourage use and development of land based on comprehensive and sustainable land management practices and infrastructure provision | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | The key strategic directions are to provide a planning framework that will: § Detail planning controls that provide clear direction for use and development of rural land. § Support commercial1 § agriculture and associated rural industries that will maintain and build the economic base. Protect Farmland of Strategic Significance by strongly discouraging fragmentation and nonproductive uses including dwellings unrelated to the agricultural use of the land. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | The purpose of this local policy is to clarify the assessment of three types of subdivision: 1. Subdivision consistent with the minimum lot size schedule 2. Re-subdivision and boundary realignments required for farm restructure. 3. Excision of existing dwellings and two lot or house lot subdivision. Subdivision of land into lots consistent with the minimum lot sizes specified in the schedule to the Farming Zone will be assessed against the zone at Clause 35.07-3. Re-subdivision and boundary realignments required for restructure of farm holdings that do not result in creation of house lots will be assessed against the zone at Clause 35.07-3. For excision of existing dwellings and two lot or house lot subdivision, the following policy applies. Objectives § § Limit the further fragmentation of rural land by subdivision. Ensure that lots resulting from subdivision are of a sufficient size to be of benefit to agricultural production. – § § Encourage the consolidation of rural land. Provide for the incremental growth of farming enterprises. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | The vision for the municipality’s rural areas on which the RLUS is based comprises: § The rural areas will be highly valued by the municipality’s community for its contribution to the local economy and social fabric. § § The municipality’s rural areas will have contributed to economic growth building on strengths in agriculture, food processing and manufacturing. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | There are opportunities to improve the performance of the scheme including: § Clarifying the position with regard to the range of uses that should be promoted or discouraged in the Farming Zone. § Clarifying the direction with regard to the substantial supply of small lots in the Farming Zone Clarifying the use of dwelling excisions and rural lifestyle dwellings in the Farming Zone. RMCG Environment | Water | Agriculture | Policy | Economics | Communities 23 RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY ½ FINAL § § Providing guidance for location intensive animal husbandry enterprises Providing a transparent and consistent basis for assessment of planning permit applications consistent with the following principles: – Legacies of past planning decisions are not justification for maintaining inappropriate planning policy or provide precedence. – Planning policy will not be used to solve issues that are the domain of good business planning and management, including succession planning and farm viability. – Rural land can and should provide for a range of legitimate uses including commercial agriculture, rural industry and rural living. However, planning should ensure that they do not negatively impact each other or result in rural land use conflict. – Rural policy should be to respond to the varying rural landscapes and the drivers of land use change and the differential impact that these have across the municipality. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | This strategy will therefore seek to ensure that Council has the opportunity to assess whether new dwellings are genuinely required in areas where commercial agriculture is the desired land use outcome or on Farmland of Strategic Significance. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | To encourage lot consolidation, promote commercial horticulture and efficient use of irrigation infrastructure, small lot subdivision involving existing dwellings may be considered where it can be reasonably demonstrated that the house is excess to the needs of the agricultural enterprise and that farm restructure and lot consolidation is an outcome. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Undertake a review of the industrial land needs including consideration of the range of uses across the agriculture value chain | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Undertake a review of the industrial land needs including consideration of the range of uses across the agriculture value chain. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Undertake a review of the industrial land needs including consideration of the range of uses across the agriculture value chain. R | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Council can promote and protect agriculture and maintain its competitive advantages with appropriate planning policy. Planning policy can support agriculture by: § Clearly identifying locations where commercial agriculture will be the primary land use and providing supporting policy to prevent fragmentation. § Ensuring that land with access to irrigation delivery infrastructure is protected for commercial agriculture § Clarifying the position with regard to the range of uses that should be promoted or discouraged in the Farming Zone including providing for vertical integration such as on farm processing and storage. § Ensuring that there is separation between agriculture and other non-agricultural and sensitive uses | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Council can promote and protect agriculture and maintain its competitive advantages with appropriate planning policy. Planning policy can support agriculture by: § Clearly identifying locations where commercial agriculture will be the primary land use and providing supporting policy to prevent fragmentation. § Ensuring that land with access to irrigation delivery infrastructure is protected for commercial agriculture § Clarifying the position with regard to the range of uses that should be promoted or discouraged in the Farming Zone including providing for vertical integration such as on farm processing and storage. § Ensuring that there is separation between agriculture and other nonagricultural and sensitive uses | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Planning policy can support irrigated agriculture and promote further irrigation development by ensuring land proximate to the irrigation backbone and Murray River is clearly identified as an area where commercial agriculture will be the primary land use and include supporting policy to prevent fragmentation. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Planning policy should support agriculture to adapt to the impacts of climate change by: providing for horticultural crop protection measures; shedding for livestock; ensuring land with access to irrigation supply infrastructure is retained in land units suited to agriculture. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | To encourage lot consolidation, promote commercial horticulture and efficient use of irrigation infrastructure, small lot subdivision involving existing dwellings may be considered where it can be reasonably demonstrated that the house is excess to the needs of the agricultural enterprise and that farm restructure and lot consolidation is an outcome. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Farming Zone – Schedule 1 – Broadacre farmland and private irrigation diversion areas This schedule seeks to: § Promote and encourage commercial scale broad acre agriculture such as livestock grazing and cropping, large scale irrigated development and Farmland of Regional Strategic Significance § Protect the opportunity for future horticultural development on Farmland of State Strategic Significance | Sustainability and Environment | Animal husbandry | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |
| RURAL LAND USE STRATEGY | Planning policy should support agriculture to adapt to the impacts of climate change by: providing for horticultural crop protection measures; shedding for livestock; ensuring land with access to irrigation supply infrastructure is retained in land units suited to agriculture. | Sustainability and Environment | Animal husbandry | Victoria | Swan Hill | Regional |