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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Maintained strong agricultural activities. We want to achieve: To achieve this we will: Action Support our farmers and growing agricultural industry in adapting to the changing economy and climate. | Economic Development | Local food producers | Victoria | Cardinia | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | With its valuable agricultural areas, Cardinia Sire  n irn re in rviding  ignificn food supply. Council is committed to leveraging this to attract investment | Economic Development | Local food producers | Victoria | Cardinia | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | The SO:ME Space continues to be an important precinct within the Market that supports the incubation of new businesses. It is a key objective of the Market to nurture and support emerging businesses and locally designed products and this separates South Melbourne Market from other markets and in particular from other retail precincts and shopping centres. The SO:ME Space is a solid starting place to have an initial tenancy and is a low-cost place to test and trial new business ventures with a focus on sustainable and locally designed and/or made products. Given the success of the space and in line with the Market Mix strategy, the SO:ME Space has been expanded in size to incorporate four surrounding tenancies into the precinct. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | #NAME? | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | . | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | • February РSouth Melbourne Night Market (see Major Events) | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Media The Market has a mix of traditional, digital and social marketing methods which work together to increase brand awareness and promote the Market’s activities. | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival The Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival took place 9 and 10 March 2019 on Cecil Street at the Market. Record crowds enjoyed feasting, dancing and celebrating seafood, all to the sounds of Melbourne’s hottest jazz musicians. Sangria and piping hot mussel paella, wok cooked drunken mussels and craft beer, mussels cooked in a light buttermilk batter served with crispy cos lettuce and chimichurri were on offer, and artisan ice-cream and fun for the kids. Some of Melbourne’s top chefs and restaurants take part each year, as well as our own South Melbourne Market restaurants Bambu, Claypots Evening Star, Paco y Lola, Köy and Simply Spanish. T | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | South Melbourne Night Market Running for its eleventh year, the 2019 South Melbourne Night Market took over the Market precinct with more seating and food options to cater for the growing popularity. Designed to activate an otherwise quiet precinct on a non-Market day, the event attracts people from all over Melbourne through the summer months. Open every Thursday night, from 10 January to 28 February, this year’s South Melbourne Night Market featured over 30 specialty general merchandise pop-up stalls, 18 food trucks, four food marquees, six food carts, and many of the Market’s regular traders also open. As well as dozens of food options, | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | The Market vibrancy is an important part of the unfolding customer experience, and a key part of this experience is created via a curation of rotational pop-up stalls throughout, including: • Cannoleria • Kitty Kat • Coconut Revolution • Spotty Dot • Joy Cupcakes • Alana Lewis Art • Ammos The Indigenous Torres Strait owned and run business, Mabu Mabu, was a new business that tested itself at the Market. We are proud that this is now a flourishing food and catering business that started at the Market. A | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Through 2018-19 the Market continued to offer food trucks the opportunity to trade on York Street on a casual basis, on the proviso that they do not offer food that competes directly with that of the permanent stallholders. This creates a diverse array of meal options for customers as well as allowing food truck businesses to trial their offerings. | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | #NAME? | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | • February РSouth Melbourne Night Market (see Major Events) | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | 3. remaining a loved, happy, quirky and experiential destination Рfull of moments of surprise and wonder; 4. being a trusted destination for fresh, organic, free range and whole food; 5. continuing to be environmentally and economically sustainable – a financially secure urban garden experience, living and breathing green. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | 6% of Port Phillip residents have visited the Market in the past 12 months; of these residents 89% rate the Market as very good/ excellent. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | a) position the Market as the premier Village Market in Victoria, one that is recognised as being vibrant, diverse and unique and that is sustainable for traders and the City of Port Phillip; b) promote the Market and encourage its use by residents, visitors and the community; and c) oversee the management and operation of the Market in accordance with the terms of this Charter and Council’s Strategic Plan, policies and programs. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Brand South Melbourne Market continues to position itself as The Village Market – the local’s place to shop, eat, drink and meet. The creative and communications aim to capture the breadth of cultural and demographic diversity as well as the myriad of reasons that our community is drawn to the Market. Media The Market has a mix of traditional, digital and social marketing methods which work together to increase brand awareness and promote the Market’s activities. Advertising is targeted in line with the results of market research, with the primary focus being on the local community and our regular shoppers. • Traditional includes: РPress advertising (local, street and mainstream) РIn-Market promotion (posters and signage) РDirect Mail to key catchment areas РRadio РOutdoor (billboards) РJoint promotions with stallholders, Council and community organisations • Digital and social includes: РDatabase marketing (via e-newsletters) РSocial media advertising (targeted) РVideo content creation РContent dissemination via websites and social media platforms for: • South Melbourne Market • South Melbourne Night Market • SO:ME Space Public Relations The Market engages a PR consultant to promote general Market news, as well as dedicated campaigns that focus on traders, special events and important retail periods like Easter and Christmas. This continues to see increased exposure via suburban, metropolitan and national media, generating awareness and many new visitors to the Market. Individual publicity campaigns over the last year have included: • Sustainable September 2018 • Say No To Straws Campaign 2018 • Christmas 2018 • South Melbourne Night Market Jan-Feb 2019 • Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival 2019 • Easter 2019 Market E-Newsletter (EDM) The Market sends monthly electronic mail to promote upcoming events and news to a Market database of over 45,000 subscribers, and promote upcoming cooking and master classes in The Neff Market Kitchen to a database of over 40,000 subscribers. EDM is an integral part of the marketing plan as the databases are owned. Both audiences have a higher than industry average open and click-through rate. Competitions and Promotions Competitions are used by the Market to further engage with shoppers and the community and to assist in the growth of the SMM database. Competitions during the 18/19 period included Win 1 of 2 $1,000 Market Vouchers; Win a $300 Seafood Feast; and Win a Lekker X E-bike. Social Media Social media continues to be an important marketing tool for the Market. Both platforms continue to grow in following and engagement and provide us with an insight into our visitor’s experiences. The platforms are also used for targeted advertising campaigns, competitions and brand awareness. • Facebook followers Р34,654 June 2018 Р38,532 June 2019 РIncrease in following 11.2% • Instagram followers Р31,200 June 2018 Р38,922 June 2019 РIncrease in following 24.8% РTotal impressions: 2.7million • Increase of 266.1% (from 737,305 in 17/18) РTotal reach: 1.5million | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | carpark; • Review of people movement to look at identifying congestion points around the Market; • Installation of additional barriers to prevent accidental or intentional vehicle incidents. Improvements to stalls The refurbishment of existing stalls is part of a market-wide program of reinvestment. The Market has engaged visual merchandising consultants to assist stallholders to better showcase their products and services, making for a more enjoyable customer experience, whilst maximising potential sales for stallholders. The key objective has been to ensure changes are more aligned with the current expectations of the South Melbourne Market customer while Market – corner York and Cecil Streets maintaining the market feel. These improvements range from a minor stall refresh and visual merchandising enhancements, to more significant renovations and fit-outs depending on the age, products and style of the stall. The Market has a capital budget to enable stalls to be upgraded to meet appropriate safety standards and to assist stallholders undertaking renovations. Works undertaken include carpentry, flooring and electrical works to make good tenancy shells, new roller doors, installing infrastructure to provide water and sewerage to stalls, upgrading electrical boards, improving lighting, changing signage, assisting with design, splitting stalls and contributing to fit-out where appropriate. Improvement to public facilities • Food Hall improvements including: РHeaters installed – replacement of gas heaters with electrical heaters, to be powered by increase in solar power; РImproved Food Hall seating and increase in seating capacity; РCourtyard upgrade with seating and umbrellas; РToilet screen added to separate the entrance of the toilet facilities from the stalls and aisle traffic; • Shelves and hooks were installed in toilets for bags and other belongings; • Lighting upgrade on Cecil Street – additional mood lighting added to the Cecil Street awning to enhance usability and experience of the outdoor seating. WiFi campaign promoting free WiFi connect to the market’s free wi-fi South Melbourne Market Annual Report 2018-19 21 Improvements to operational / back-ofhouse facilities • Motorised shutter doors installed – motors were added to external entry points to enable easy opening and closing to reduce manual handling; • Internal roller door installed at the Coventry Street end of the Centre Aisle to increase safety within the Market during non-Market days; • Rooftop car park gate security was enhanced by extending the height of the entrance and exit gates; • Sonar bird deterrent devices were introduced to reduce bird activity in the restaurant precinct, in addition to more pigeon spikes being installed around the Market to reduce bird nesting. Improvements to connectivity • WiFi installed throughout Market for public access. A program | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Council, on behalf of the Market, also conducted three major studies during 2018-19 to provide input to the 2020-2025 Strategic Planning process. These studies were: • Existing Conditions and Opportunities Analysis • South Melbourne Market and surrounds Traffic Study • South Melbourne Market Compliance Review | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Governance review: During 2018-19 there was a review of the governance structure of the Market, with a new Charter established, and the introduction of a new skills based Committee with the relevant experience to enhance the strategic vision and decision making powers delegated to it from Council. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | In 2018-19 the Market licenced the following stalls to join the family: • South Melbourne Poultry – July 2018 – supplier of premium free range, organic, hormone and chemical free chicken and poultry products (formerly Chicken Johns); • Mabu Mabu – October 2018 – Dips, sauces and curry pastes using native herbs and vegetables (formerly Kalaparee Olives); • Pieno di Grazia – October 2018 – Italian influenced café and pizza eatery in Food Hall (formerly Store 6); • La Central – December 2018 – Spanish deli and bodega (formerly Boisdale Best); • The Village Juicery – March 2019 – health and wellbeing juice and smoothie stall (formerly Happy Place by Lola Berry); | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | It is Council’s intention to retain and enhance the Market’s unique position as a major civic space, one that is a generator of community and social interaction, as well as being one of the Council’s prime infrastructure assets. Council is of the view that it can be developed further as a place for the whole community to visit and belong, as well as a premier shopping destination. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Market Tours: The Market conducts guided tours on a monthly basis where participants get to sample the Market delights, meet specialist traders and have a Market adventure that is unrivalled and unforgettable. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | Mix Policy: The Market continues to review the stall mix, offering assistance in visual merchandising, and undertaking market research to curate the Market to meet the community’s expectations. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | 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. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | 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; | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | South Melbourne Market Capital Expenditure 2018-19 2018-19 $’000 South Melbourne Market Renewal Works Stall Fit Outs Georgie’s Harvest on Coventry Street South Melbourne Market Water Meter Installation South Melbourne Market Solar PV Building Compliance Works Total Capital Expenditure 273 125 Р86 273 757 2017-18 $’000 167 Р55 72 241 535 | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | South Melbourne Night Market Running for its eleventh year, the 2019 South Melbourne Night Market took over the Market precinct with more seating and food options to cater for the growing popularity. Designed to activate an otherwise quiet precinct on a non-Market day, the event attracts people from all over Melbourne through the summer months. Open every Thursday night, from 10 January to 28 February, this year’s South Melbourne Night Market featured over 30 specialty general merchandise pop-up stalls, 18 food trucks, four food marquees, six food carts, and many of the Market’s regular traders also open. As well as dozens of food options, | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | The 2015-20 Strategic Plan outlines our vision and commitment for the Market and sets our strategic priorities for 5 years. It remains at the centre of our business planning processes. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Annual Report 2018–19 | The daily operation of the Market is managed by 10.6 FTE staff looking after key areas such as licencing, operations, marketing, events, administration, customer service and the cooking school. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |