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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RURAL STRATEGY | We have identified locations that could potentially support increased residential growth in Kenthurst, Annangrove and Glenorie. A greater degree of housing diversity may appeal to a wider variety of potential residents, and may provide housing options for younger people or families who would like to remain in the area yet cannot afford a larger home, or downsizers seeking a more manageable property in the same area. Young professionals and families are increasingly leaving the rural area of the Shire; there are a variety of reasons for this, however high median house prices and limited choice are contributing factors. | Social Policy | Affordable housing | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| RURAL STRATEGY | Grocer | Health and Wellbeing | Accessible healthy food retail | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| RURAL STRATEGY | Council will: • Value the contribution that rural industries make to Greater Sydney’s economy and protect productive agricultural land from development pressures, particularly along the rural-urban fringe. • Discourage planning proposals which seek to rezone viable agricultural land for residential purposes. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| RURAL STRATEGY | Despite a reduction in productive land area and the challenges of fragmented land ownership, agriculture in the Shire is evolving and becoming more efficient through technological advances. Greater reliance on data and automation are delivering more and better-quality produce. This means a change in employee roles and the part of the production in which they are employed, rather than a loss of jobs. These advances are evidenced by the increased use of greenhouses and intensive horticulture. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| RURAL STRATEGY | Forge links between The Hills Shire producers and Western Sydney University’s Greenhouse Research Education Training Facility at Hawkesbury and encourage intensification of horticulture activity, including hydroponics and greenhouses. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| RURAL STRATEGY | Intensive horticulture Horticulture in The Hills is moving towards more intensive modes of production such as hydroponics within greenhouses, as there is limited supply of productive agricultural land within the Shire. To assist in this evolution, we will review site coverage and hours of operation controls for agricultural land in the Hills Development Control Plan (DCP). This may enable agricultural operators to maximise their efficiency in instances where the surrounding uses are similar and where it is not likely to have an adverse noise impact. Given this shift in focus, intensive horticulture activity in the Shire could benefit by forging links with Western Sydney University’s Greenhouse Research Education Training Facility at its Hawkesbury Campus. This facility aims to “help Australian growers tap into the latest research and practices within greenhouse crop production to make their operations more efficient, and meet the increased demand for fresh food that can be delivered quickly to markets.” (Western Sydney University) Partnering with tertiary institutions to explore best-practice in intensive horticulture will increase our capacity to facilitate the best land use outcomes for this industry. It may also enable local rural businesses to introduce new technologies and practices with confidence. Our Economic Growth Plan outlined in the Productivity and Centres Strategy 2019 will target key rural industries and articulate how greater regional connectivity will be able to assist in the growth and development of existing businesses as well as attracting new businesses to the Shire. Council actively assists small business and will extend this to rural businesses. By identifying trends within agricultural production such as modular farming and vertical greenhouses and determining where these new methods could be most appropriate, we will be able to attract new operators to base their operations within the Shire. Example of intensive plant production in greenhouse | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| RURAL STRATEGY | Recent amendments to the Standard Instrument LEP include a clause 5.16 that seeks to “minimise potential land use conflict between existing and proposed development on land in the rural, residential or environment protection zones concerned (particularly between residential land uses and other rural land uses)”. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| RURAL STRATEGY | There is also a move towards intensive horticulture, utilising greenhouse and hydroponics facilities rather than requiring the use of soil for agricultural production. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| RURAL STRATEGY | This clause enables Council to consider “whether or not the development is likely to have a significant impact on land uses that, in the opinion of the consent authority, are likely to be preferred and the predominant land uses in the vicinity of the development”. It opens some opportunity to identify the importance of productive rural land uses and will be considered for inclusion as part of the Hills LEP. Limiting residential development in rural areas retains productive rural land remains for agriculture and provides certainty to rural landowners and producers. Council will: • Protect productive agricultural lands across the Shire from land uses that may create land use conflict. • | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| RURAL STRATEGY | This section outlines our priorities for rural lands and how we will achieve these priorities. The planning priorities will guide how we will manage the unique rural area so that the community can enjoy and benefit from it now and well into the future. The priorities are: • manage and protect the rural‑urban interface • plan for housing in the right locations and renew and create great places • retain and manage the Shire’s rural productive capacity • encourage support activities and tourism in rural areas. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| RURAL STRATEGY | To support this, we will implement an urban growth boundary, largely based on the formal boundary between the metropolitan urban and metropolitan rural areas. The boundary will protect rural lands for productive uses and scenic values, avoiding levels of development more suited to urban areas. An urban growth boundary will: • respond to directions within the region and district plans to protect the Metropolitan Rural Area • reinforce the existing land use zoning system • assist in reducing pressure on environmentally sensitive lands within the rural area • refocus on the scenic and productive values of the Shire’s rural lands • signal to property speculators that the rural area is valued for its productive and scenic qualities, and is not urban land in-waiting • give property owners in rural areas greater certainty about the future of their land. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| RURAL STRATEGY | Encourage better ways to access markets and distribution points to benefit agricultural and extractive materials producers. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| RURAL STRATEGY | Most agricultural and extractive output from the Shire’s rural areas is sold locally – within the Shire and Greater Sydney Region. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| RURAL STRATEGY | Rural connectivity The size of the Shire and relatively small number of road and public transport connections within the rural area poses supply chain challenges for producers in the agricultural and mining industries. This limited connectivity reduces the opportunities to expand into new markets, curtailing the growth prospects of rural businesses. Producers must be able get their products to market quickly and efficiently, and have opportunities to expand into new markets. Currently, geographical constraints limit the supply of agricultural produce and extractive materials to destinations to the south, east and west of the Shire. Coupled with higher density urban areas and increases in congestion, better ways of accessing markets and distribution points are essential. We are seeking clarity surrounding the location of the Outer Sydney Orbital between north west Sydney and the Central Coast. The Orbital would also provide a direct road and freight link to the Central Coast and the future Western Sydney International Airport, creating potential for new market opportunities and greater supply chain efficiencies. Future Transport 2056 identifies the north west Sydney to Central Coast section of the orbital as a visionary initiative for investigation beyond 20 years; however, we believe this is of such strategic importance that investigations should be brought forward. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| RURAL STRATEGY | Work with the NSW Government to preserve land for, and build, the section of the Outer Sydney Orbital between north west Sydney and the Central Coast to open new markets and supply chain efficiencies for agricultural and extractive industries. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | NSW | The Hills Shire | Metropolitan |
| Rural Tourism Policy | 10) Any Planning Proposal for the purposes of rezoning land to SP3 Tourist involving a Function Centre shall demonstrate to Council’s satisfaction compliance with the following provisions, the intent of which is to ensure that any Function Centre is sensitively located and designed so it does not adversely impact on the ecological values, agricultural production, natural resources, or visual, scenic, environmental or residential amenity values of the land. The provisions are: (a) the development will complement the rural or environmental attributes of the land and its surrounds,and (b) the development will not adversely affect the agricultural productivity of adjoining land,and (c) the development will not adversely affect neighbour amenity, and (d) the development is, or will be, serviced by adequate access roads taking into account the scale of the development, and | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Wingecarribee | Metropolitan |
| Rural Tourism Policy | 7) Any Planning Proposal for the purposes of rezoning land to SP3 Tourist shall demonstrate to Council’s satisfaction that any mapped High Value Agricultural Land on the subject land shall avoided in any proposed development. 8) Should a property contain either High Value Environmental Land or High Value Agricultural Land, this may result in only a portion of the subject considered by Council for rezoning to SP3 Tourist. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Wingecarribee | Metropolitan |
| Rural Zones Review | It is preferable that rural industry be located within existing urban areas to capitalise on infrastructure and contribute to the employment options, viability and vibrancy of the town and minimise loss of farmland. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Loddon | Regional |
| Rural Zones Review | – the dwelling is located in such a way to minimise any impact on agricultural use on the subject property and adjoining properties. The dwelling should be located on an area of lower agricultural quality and should be sited and designed to minimise the amount of land used for non-agricultural uses. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Loddon | Regional |
| Rural Zones Review | The industry will not compromise agricultural use of surrounding land; | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Loddon | Regional |
| Rural Zones Review | 2) Updating subdivision and dwelling controls to ensure that they support Council’s strategic position of supporting agricultural growth and development; | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Loddon | Regional |
| Rural Zones Review | Dwellings 12. Controls on dwelling development in Farming zoned areas should be strengthened to ensure that any dwelling proposed is ancillary and required to promote the agricultural use of the land. They should be strengthened by; a) Increasing the permit trigger in the schedule to the Farming Zone to 100ha (thereby requiring a permit for use of a lot of less than 100ha for a dwelling) ; Table 23: Recommended changes to the dwelling controls of the Farming Zone Land Minimum area for which no permit is required to use land for a dwelling (hectares). All land Existing 40ha Area/Dimensions/Distance Recommendation 100ha | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Loddon | Regional |
| Rural Zones Review | Farming Zone The majority of rural land in Loddon is considered productive, or has productive potential, or farming is the highest and best use despite the productive potential of the land. As such it is appropriate that most rural land in Loddon should be zoned Farming. Application of the Farming Zone recognises the attributes of the Shire and supports the basis of the economy. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Loddon | Regional |
| Rural Zones Review | Given the requirement to support farm growth the following changes to subdivision controls in the Farming Zone are recommended; Land Minimum subdivision area (Hectares). Land within the GMID that is currently irrigated, set up for irrigation or a commitment or agreement has been put in place to enable the land to be irrigated following subdivision and where the land is likely to remain irrigated by virtue of infrastructure, soil type or proximity to water source. All other land Existing 20ha Area Proposed 40ha 100 ha, unless in accordance with Local Planning Policy – 22.05 9 100ha | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Loddon | Regional |
| Rural Zones Review | Including a statement in the MSS that identifies the future of the Loddon River corridor is for agriculture due to the existing and future value. Housing should be minimised beyond existing urban areas. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Loddon | Regional |
| Rural Zones Review | It is preferable that rural industry be located within existing urban areas to capitalise on infrastructure and contribute to the employment options, viability and vibrancy of the town and minimise loss of farmland. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Loddon | Regional |
| Rural Zones Review | Renewable energy facilities will be supported in Loddon but should not be located on high quality agricultural land where they compromise primary production, in particular, land that is and is likely to remain irrigated (or may be irrigated in the future) due to soil type or access to irrigation infrastructure | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Loddon | Regional |
| Rural Zones Review | Renewable energy facilities will be supported in Loddon but should not be located on high quality agricultural land, in particular, not on land that is and is likely to remain irrigated (or may be irrigated in the future) due to soil type or access to irrigation infrastructure. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Loddon | Regional |
| Rural Zones Review | Subdivision 8. The following changes to subdivision controls are recommended for the Farming Zone; Table 22: Recommended changes to the subdivision controls of the Farming Zone Land Area Minimum subdivision area (hectares). Land within the GMID that is currently irrigated, set up for irrigation or a commitment or agreement has been put in place to enable the land to be irrigated following subdivision and where the land is likely to remain irrigated by virtue of infrastructure, soil type or proximity to water source. All other land 40ha 100ha | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Loddon | Regional |
| Rural Zones Review | The following policy statements are recommended to be included in Clause 22.05: Council will support the construction of a dwelling on land zoned Farming where it can be demonstrated that the construction of the dwelling is required to enhance the agricultural output of the land and that the dwelling is and is likely to remain ancillary to the farming use of the property. The agricultural use of the land that the new dwelling is required to support must be established prior to construction of the dwelling. An application for a new dwelling in the Farming Zone will be advertised to surrounding land owners / occupiers. Council may require the following information to support an application for a new dwelling where a new farm business is proposed: o A farm business plan that shows: – why there is a need to live on site and how that would enhance agricultural use – the investment into agriculture on the property – the estimated return from the agricultural pursuit – the amount of land to be engaged in farming, and – the estimated production from the property; or o A whole farm plan that shows; – the layout of agricultural uses on the property to demonstrate that the majority of the property is used for farming. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Loddon | Regional |