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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Report 2018–19 | being a trusted destination for fresh, organic, free range and whole food; | Sustainability and Environment | Animal husbandry | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Advocate for the development of roads and infrastructure required for primary production. Res | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | Victoria | Cardinia | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Our Mission The South Melbourne Market will achieve our Vision by: 1. being accessible and inclusive for the whole community; 2. embracing and curating all that is local – including small businesses, product, designers and suppliers; | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Identify a hierarchy of roads directly related to primary production that require advocacy. Advocate to the relevant authority for the development of the priority roads identified to support primary production. We want to achieve: To achieve this we will: The hierarchy of roads directly related to primary production that require advocacy has been established. Council was successful in obtaining funding for Island Road, Koo Wee Rup. However, the project will not continue due to limited interest in residents contributing to the works. Future advocacy to be undertaken based on a newly developed priority list. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | Victoria | Cardinia | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | • Sustainability: The Market’s Operational Sustainability Program is ongoing, with more sustainable initiatives introduced including: – Say No to Straws – Milk bottle recycling – Soft plastic recycling | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | We want to achieve: To achieve this we will: Action Tender documentation and consideration includes weighting for local products and services. A local economy supporting the improved health and wellbeing of our communities. Encourage the procurement and consumption of local food. Result Cardinia Council applied a 5 per cent weighting for local products and services on all tenders in 2018–19. Business unit Finance Completion Completed | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | Victoria | Cardinia | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | In December 2018 the Market banned plastic straws with our Say No to Straws campaign. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Support our farmers and growing agricultural industry in adapting to the changing economy and climate. | Sustainability and Environment | Food supply and food system resilience | Victoria | Cardinia | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Measuring our Sustainable Success Measure Food collected by SecondBite (kg) Meals provided from this food Potable Water Usage (kL) Rainwater Usage (kL) Solar Power Usage (kWh) CO2-e avoided (t) Organic Waste to Gaia Machine (t) SoilFood Output from Gaia Machine (t) Green waste to Vermicompost (m3) Glass collected for recycle (t) Glass Remanufactured (t) Cardboard recycled (t) Trees saved due to Cardboard Recycling (#) Oil Waste collected from Market (l) Biodiesel made using Market Oil (l) Polystyrene (t) CO2 emissions saved (t) Milk bottle recycling (t) Shells recycled (m3) 2017-18 32,146 64,000 24,246 3,738 48,000 52.2 272 67 400 28 22 230 3,914 16,160 9,696 3.69 5.17 N/A **17 * Due to commencement of solar panel installation, data was not recorded in June 2019 so we have taken the figures from June 2018 to give a more realistic 12-month figure. ** Commenced shell collection March 2018 2018-19 22,800 50,000 25,670 5,363 48,118* 49 256 54 400 25 20 245 4,163 15,850 9,510 1.703 tbc 1.713 94.5 | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | A feasibility study into the integration of food waste into the green waste bin has been completed, with the service to start in late 2020. Council is working with a metro-wide advisory group on advocating to the Victorian and Australian governments for support to assist with kerbside resource recovery options. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Cardinia | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Milk bottle recycling commenced | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Action Provide education material and support to schools and ELC to improve engagement and resource recovery. Promote practices that result in the reduction per household of the amount of waste going to landfill, particularly food waste. Result Council provides support to eligible schools and Early Learning Centres through the provision of free recycling bins, related educational materials and compost bin rebates. The schools program continues to deliver recycling education programs via incursions and supporting resources for participating schools. A new education program for schools on managing their waste though student-run bin audits, education sessions and Council-provided engagement materials began in Term 2, with 10 schools participating. Business unit Infrastructure Services Completion Completed | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Cardinia | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | NO TO STRAWS CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Collaborate on regional project with south east councils and MWRRG to procure landfill and alternative to landfill services, including pre-sort options for commencement post 2021. This project is underway with regular meetings and workshops attended by Council officers with the south east cluster of councils and the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group. The aim is to progress this to provide alternatives to landfill that provide social and environmental benefits and long-term security of service. Council has endorsed joining a collaborative procurement process for Alternative Waste and Resource Recovery Technology (AWRRT). The feasibility of adding food waste to the kerbside green waste collection service has been completed and will be presented to Council. An integrated service is set to start in late 2020. Group procurement options are being explored with MWRRG and councils to improve kerbside recycling options. Infrastructure Services Completed Promote practices that result in the reduction per household of the amount of waste going to landfill, particularly food waste. Result Council officers have been attending working groups with the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group on the development of a food waste service guide. Food waste recovery services are in place at Council’s offices to understand more about the service potential for businesses. A specialist waste consultant and Council officers have conducted a Food into Green Waste bin feasibility study to assist in making key decisions around what the residential food and green waste system will look like and what resources are needed for the implementation phase. Accepting food waste into the kerbside green waste bin will be factored into new kerbside collection contracts, for which the tender is currently being written. Business unit Infrastructure Services Completion Completed Infrastructure Services Completed | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Cardinia | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | of organic waste diverted from landfill and processed onsite into fertiliser | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | community uptake of compost rebates ignificn increed | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Cardinia | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Organic Waste Recycling: The Market’s green waste is taken to a farm on the outskirts of Melbourne where it is fed to millions of worms. This nutrient-rich vermicompost contains minerals and a highly active biological mixture of bacteria and enzymes that are beneficial to plant growth. The Market sells this vermicompost as an organic fertiliser called Market Magic. For the remainder of the organic waste, it is processed onsite by the GaiaRecycle machine, converting it to SoilFood™. SoilFood™ is rich in concentrated nutrients and makes an excellent highnitrogen, slow release plant fertiliser. Waste that is processed in the Gaia includes coffee grounds, fish offal, prep waste from restaurants and cafés, left over waste from customers, deli waste, bread, high acidic products such as citrus, pineapples, onions and more. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Other future initiatives include the introduction of a nappy rebate program and food waste collection. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Cardinia | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Oyster shells destined to return to the bay to re-establish mussel and oyster reefs | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Food safety cont. Service indicator Service standard Food safety assessments [Number of registered Class 1 food premises and Class 2 food premises that received 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 [Direct cost of the food safety service/Number of food premises registered of notified in accordance with the Food Act 1984] Health and safety Critical and major non-compliance outcome notifications [Number of critical non-compliance outcome notifications and major noncompliance notifications about a food premises followed up/Number of critical non-compliance outcome notifications and major non-compliance notifications about a food premises] x100 2015–16 100% 2016–17 100% 2017–18 100% 2018-19 100% Material variation $331.63 $305.19 $315.62 $311.80 100% 100% 100% 100% | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Cardinia | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Polystyrene: All polystyrene boxes are compacted at the Market in the polycompactor and made into polystyrene bricks. This reduces the volume of polystyrene by 98%. The compressed bricks are collected and then melted and remoulded into different plastic products including CD cases, coat hangers, picture frames, toys, and office supplies sand is also used to manufacture wood alternative products such as interior decorative mouldings. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Food safety Service indicator Timeliness Time taken to action food complaints [Number of days between receipt and first response for all food complaints/Number of food complaints] | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Cardinia | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Say No to Straws Campaign – The Market traders stopped offering plastic straws to reduce our plastic waste. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Health and safety Critical and major noncompliance outcome notifications [Number of critical noncompliance outcome notifications and major noncompliance notifications about a food premises followed up/Number of critical non-compliance outcome notifications and major non-compliance notifications about a food premises] x100 | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Cardinia | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | saying goodbye to plastic with a sustainable beeswax wrap workshop; | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Shell Recycling In March 2018 South Melbourne Market and The Nature Conservancy teamed up on a shell recycling project to help rebuild the lost shellfish reefs of Port Phillip Bay. Once upon a time, our beautiful Bay was full of shellfish reefs. Today, as a consequence of past over fishing, poor water quality and increased sediments, the shellfish ecosystems that were previously thought to occupy up to half of Port Phillip Bay’s seafloor are now considered an ‘ecologically collapsed’ ecosystem. In an effort to restore some of these precious ecosystems, The Nature Conservancy collect mollusc shells recycled from our seafood traders, restaurants and at our Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival, and use them in an innovative project to re-establish mussel and oyster reefs at Wilson Spit Reef (Geelong Arm) and Margaret’s Reef (Hobsons Bay). Mussel, oyster and scallop shells are collected in large black bins at the Market, picked up weekly by Geelong Disabled People’s Industries, and taken to a site on the Bellarine Peninsula. Here they are left to cure through sun and wind exposure for six months to ensure there are no diseases or pathogens. This year we processed 94.3 cubic metres of shells to assist The Nature Conservancy rebuild the reef. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Sustainable initiatives introduced in 2018-19 include: Say No To Straws: The Market banned the sale and use of plastic straws from 1 December 2018 in their Stay No To Straws campaign. Visitors were encouraged to ask for their drink without a straw and traders wanting to provide straws asked to supply recyclable paper or bamboo straws or reusable metal straws. Milk Bottle Recycling: In 2018 the Market implemented a recycling initiative to convert plastic HDPE bottles into pipes, pallets and decking boards. The milk bottles from all our traders are compressed and bailed in the Mil-Tek 2205 machine, capable of crushing and baling over 50kg of milk bottles in one hit, the equivalent of 1,000 milk bottles per load. Soft Plastics Recycling: In 2018 the Market reconditioned an existing polystyrene baler onsite to be used for baling soft plastics. Figures not available for 2018-19. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | The Market is passionate about protecting our environment, and continues to implement sustainable initiatives to reduce our footprint through reducing waste, improving recycling and supporting traders make a difference. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | This milk bottle recycling program now complements the rest of the Market’s sustainable initiatives including: organic waste program; recycling water, polystyrene, oil, cardboard and glass; educating the community on environmental ways to shop via Market tours and Sustainable September program; and working with traders to improve their environmental footprint | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | This year the Market conducted 19 Sustainable Food Systems school tours. The tours visit a range of stalls, using their produce as a launch pad to explore the sustainability of our food systems, from how and where our food is grown, through to how we can transform our waste into valuable resources. The tours are a popular tie-in with the Year 9 Biomes and Food Security Geography unit and VCE Food Studies Unit Food Issues, Challenges and Futures, as they give the students the opportunity to see the theory of the class room in practice. The students love the passion of the traders, learning about the Market’s organic waste management program, and trying a range of foods they may not have experienced before including oysters, which is always a great photo opportunity. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |