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.
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| Document title | Relevant text in the policy | Domain | Topic | State | Local Government name | Council type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitehorse Health and Wellbeing Plan | Implement Council’s Five Star Food Hygiene Assessment (FHA) system to improve the safety of food being manufactured, handled, stored and sold in the municipality | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| Whitehorse Integrated Transport Strategy | Increased provision of seating and drinking fountains along key routes to and within Activity Centres | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea 2040 vision | Affordable housing | Social Policy | Affordable housing | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea 2040 vision | Well-designed neighbourhoods and vibrant town centres This means: • Attractive streetscapes and public spaces • Easy access to local shops and major commercial centres | Health and Wellbeing | Accessible healthy food retail | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea 2040 vision | We also hope to see smaller retail outlets flourish with unique products and local produce | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea 2040 vision | We also hope to see smaller retail outlets flourish with unique products and local produce | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea 2040 vision | we get at our local shops, shopping centres and markets and we hope these can be expanded, upgraded | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | e continue our eorts to create liveable neighbourhoods with vibrant town centres, smart connected transport networks and aordable and accessible housing. | Social Policy | Affordable housing | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | Agriculture is an emerging sector for our municipality and understanding the implications of climate change on this sector is important to Council. he peri-urban climate resilient project seeks to determine how Council can support this sector and what opportunities there are through regenerative agriculture. Council has partnered with the eakin niversitys h program to undertake this work. he three-year project partnership will • provide access to academic research and resources for further intensive research • identify best practice case studies that can be used to educate current farming practitioners and encourage new investment • develop comparative models and report on dierences and benefits between best practice regenerative agricultural and conventional farming. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | Council established a partnership with Whittlesea Community Connections, Melbourne Polytechnic and Yarra Valley Water to investigate the establishment of the Whittlesea Food and Farm Collective project. The project aims to develop new agricultural practices suitable for peri-urban areas, based on recycled water and renewable energy, improving productivity and driving employment growth in agricultural areas adjoining cities. It will provide quality fresh food for up to 2,000 households facing food insecurity each year and training opportunities for students. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | artner with hilesea Community Connections, elbourne olytechnic and arra alley ater to investigate the establishment of a Community Farm in the municipality, by une 2019 A partnership was established between hilesea Community Connections, elbourne olytechnic and arra alley ater to investigate the establishment of a Community Farm. Council supported ongoing working group meetings and assisted in the development of a business case and funding applications. he preparation of the business case was supported by a successful funding application to the epartment of nvironment, Land, ater and lanning to the value of 40,000. he partnership submied to the Commonwealth Building Beer Regions Fund to establish the hilesea Food and Farm Collective, but was ultimately unsuccessful. All parties are commied to this project and will explore further opportunities in the coming financial year to advance the project. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | Council established a partnership with Whittlesea Community Connections, Melbourne Polytechnic and Yarra Valley Water to investigate the establishment of the Whittlesea Food and Farm Collective project. The project aims to develop new agricultural practices suitable for peri-urban areas, based on recycled water and renewable energy, improving productivity and driving employment growth in agricultural areas adjoining cities. It will provide quality fresh food for up to 2,000 households facing food insecurity each year and training opportunities for students. | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | artner with hilesea Community Connections, elbourne olytechnic and arra alley ater to investigate the establishment of a Community Farm in the municipality, by une 2019 A partnership was established between hilesea Community Connections, elbourne olytechnic and arra alley ater to investigate the establishment of a Community Farm. Council supported ongoing working group meetings and assisted in the development of a business case and funding applications. he preparation of the business case was supported by a successful funding application to the epartment of nvironment, Land, ater and lanning to the value of 40,000. he partnership submied to the Commonwealth Building Beer Regions Fund to establish the hilesea Food and Farm Collective, but was ultimately unsuccessful. All parties are commied to this project and will explore further opportunities in the coming financial year to advance the project. | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | Council established a partnership with Whittlesea Community Connections, Melbourne Polytechnic and Yarra Valley Water to investigate the establishment of the Whittlesea Food and Farm Collective project. The project aims to develop new agricultural practices suitable for peri-urban areas, based on recycled water and renewable energy, improving productivity and driving employment growth in agricultural areas adjoining cities. It will provide quality fresh food for up to 2,000 households facing food insecurity each year and training opportunities for students. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | We need to work on supporting and developing opportunities for local businesses like growing the food we need locally. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | Agriculture is an emerging sector for our municipality and understanding the implications of climate change on this sector is important to Council. he peri-urban climate resilient project seeks to determine how Council can support this sector and what opportunities there are through regenerative agriculture. Council has partnered with the eakin niversitys h program to undertake this work. he three-year project partnership will • provide access to academic research and resources for further intensive research • identify best practice case studies that can be used to educate current farming practitioners and encourage new investment • develop comparative models and report on dierences and benefits between best practice regenerative agricultural and conventional farming. | Sustainability and Environment | Food supply and food system resilience | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | Our diversion rates have declined slightly over the previous two financial years. Council Ocers will trial the delivery of Food Organics arden Organics FOO bins to increase diversion rates in the 2019-20 financial year. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | Our diversion rates have declined slightly over the previous two financial years. Council ocers will trial the delivery of Food Organics arden Organics FOO bins to increase diversion rates in the 2019-20 financial year. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | 324.80 The cost per food premises in 2018-19 is 324.80. he variation in cost from the previous year is due to the combined factors of increase in service costs and a lower number of new temporary food notifications in 2018-19. 99.51% Council continues to maintain very high standards in food safety, ensuring critical and major non-compliance notifications are followed up to ensure compliance and safety. | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | R 2016 FOOD SAFETY Timeliness ime taken to action food complaints [Number of days between receipt and first response action for all food complaints/Number of food complaints] 1.41 1.23 1.88 1.21 Food safety is a priority for the City of hilesea. uring 2018-19 the average response time to action a food complaint was 1.2 days. his result is the lowest recorded in the last four years, outperforming the average for similar councils in 2017-18. i ana Food safety assessments [Number of registered Class 1 food premises and Class 2 food premises that receive an annual food safety assessment in accordance with the Food Act 1984/Number of registered Class 1 food premises and Class 2 food premises that require an annual food safety assessment in accordance with the Food Act 1984] x100 Service Cost Cost of food safety service [irect cost of the food safety service/ Number of food premises registered or notified in accordance with the Food Act 1984] al a Critical and major non-compliance notifications [Number of critical non-compliance outcome notifications and major non-compliance notifications about food premises followed up/Number of critical non-compliance outcome notifications and major non-compliance notifications about food premises] x100 99.24% 100% 100% 356.08 270.47 309.07 100% 99.11% 99.42% 99.75% uring 2018, a total of 99.75 per cent of all assessments of Class 1 and 2 food premises were completed. wo Class 2 premises opened in late December so the assessment of their Food afety lans was conducted in early 2019. 2017 2018 MATERIAL VARIATIONS AND COMMENTS Service performance indicators and measures (cont.) R 2016 | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | oo sa Health and safety Critical and major non-compliance notifications [Number of critical non-compliance notifications and major non-compliance notifications about food premises followed up / Number of critical noncompliance notifications and major non-compliance notifications about food premises] x100 | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | Council established a partnership with Whittlesea Community Connections, Melbourne Polytechnic and Yarra Valley Water to investigate the establishment of the Whittlesea Food and Farm Collective project. The project aims to develop new agricultural practices suitable for peri-urban areas, based on recycled water and renewable energy, improving productivity and driving employment growth in agricultural areas adjoining cities. It will provide quality fresh food for up to 2,000 households facing food insecurity each year and training opportunities for students. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | Implement the conomic Development Strategy’ with a focus on the priority application approval process, the launch of an investment prospectus and the land capability assessment ANNUAL MEASURES 100 per cent of year two conomic evelopment actions are completed by une 2019 PROGRESS STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE: e sness an nestent are aracte to or ct ear two of the conomic evelopment trategy has been implemented successfully, including • the introduction of the priority application development process • investment prospectus  a marketing tool that supports business investment and job creation • Land Capability Assessment outlining opportunities to support the emerging agricultural sector • provide support for small business through the implementation of a case management model. his strategy aims to create 10,000 new jobs in five years. Approximately 2,800 new jobs have been created in the first year, which has exceeded the average 2,000 jobs/year target over five years. mployment opportunities for the community will continue to be supported through the work of this strategy. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | hilesea Agricultural how, | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | In May we held our very first Farmers and Makers market, a tremendous success which attracted 3000 people and had 45 local stallholders. The market received very positive community comment through social media and will continue to be held to attract and promote local businesses. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | he conomic evelopment team continue to engage and encourage the participation of local businesses. his includes the new Farmers arket in outh orang to support local businesses. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | Agribusiness | Economic Development | Local food producers | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | Agribusiness dinner and the Ignite program. hese events provide the business community the opportunity to develop their business acumen and form new connections locally. | Economic Development | Local food producers | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | Agriculture is an emerging sector for our municipality and understanding the implications of climate change on this sector is important to Council. he peri-urban climate resilient project seeks to determine how Council can support this sector and what opportunities there are through regenerative agriculture. Council has partnered with the eakin niversitys h program to undertake this work. he three-year project partnership will • provide access to academic research and resources for further intensive research • identify best practice case studies that can be used to educate current farming practitioners and encourage new investment • develop comparative models and report on dierences and benefits between best practice regenerative agricultural and conventional farming. | Economic Development | Local food producers | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |
| Whittlesea’s Annual Report 2018-19. | Conduct service reviews to optimise community outcomes 10 service reviews conducted by 30 une 2019 arget exceeded with 12 service reviews completed resulting in a number of customer service, process and financial benefits including improved building and planning processes, increased investment in city safety and amenity and support for local agribusiness. | Economic Development | Local food producers | Victoria | Whittlesea | Metropolitan |