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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AnnualReport2017-18 | The introduction of a new Food and Green Waste Recycling Service to reduce food waste going to landfill. The program will help reduce landfill and greenhouse gases, and provide valuable composting for Victorian agriculture. This project was strongly supported by the community during consultation for Council’s Waste Management Strategy (2017-2027) | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | Workshops at Batesford Hub covering topics including worm farming, bee keeping, permaculture, healthy soils, growing edible plants and Indigenous plants and food, learning different ways to swap single-use plastics, reduce rubbish bin by half, tips for making simple and safe personal care and home cleaning recipes | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | Monash Community Harvest – The Corner Store Network ($70,000). | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | More than 200 discounted worm farms/compost bins were delivered to residents free of charge | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | The hub provides the community with demonstrations and information on how they can make their home more sustainable. Information sessions and workshops are planned on topics such as energy reduction, sustainable gardening, composing and vegetable gardens. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | Workshops at Batesford Hub covering topics including worm farming, bee keeping, permaculture, healthy soils, growing edible plants and Indigenous plants and food, learning different ways to swap single-use plastics, reduce rubbish bin by half, tips for making simple and safe personal care and home cleaning recipes | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | Workshops at Batesford Hub covering topics including worm farming, bee keeping, permaculture, healthy soils, growing edible plants and Indigenous plants and food, learning different ways to swap single-use plastics, reduce rubbish bin by half, tips for making simple and safe personal care and home cleaning recipes | Sustainability and Environment | Animal husbandry | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | A project working group was established for the introduction of food into the green bin in 2020 FOGO (food organics in green organics) planning is on track for commencement in July 2020 | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | Monash Community Harvest – The Corner Store Network ($70,000). | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | More than 200 discounted worm farms/compost bins were delivered to residents free of charge | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | Strategic Indicator/ measure 1.12 Implement the 2018/19 funded priorities in the Environmental Sustainability Strategy. (cont.) Progress ͫ Reduction of Single Use Plastics – A Big Belly solar bin was installed to assess suitability to collect plastic film ͫ Bins were rolled out to libraries and MARC to increase recycling at these venues. Library staff have received education material to assist in the correct use of the bins ͫ Local Government Power Partnership Agreement – Monash was the first of 38 councils to sign up to this agreement which will provide us with a minimum of 90% renewable power for all Council facilities ͫ Received Council support for business case and planned rollout of FOGO (food organics/green organics) in 2020. This was confirmed in the 2019/20 Budget. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | The hub provides the community with demonstrations and information on how they can make their home more sustainable. Information sessions and workshops are planned on topics such as energy reduction, sustainable gardening, composing and vegetable gardens. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | The introduction of a new Food and Green Waste Recycling Service to reduce food waste going to landfill. The program will help reduce landfill and greenhouse gases, and provide valuable composting for Victorian agriculture. This project was strongly supported by the community during consultation for Council’s Waste Management Strategy (2017-2027) | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | were a finalist in two other categories for the Litter Prevention Council Award for the Monash Young Person’s Reference Group's single use coffee cup removal campaign | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | Workshops at Batesford Hub covering topics including worm farming, bee keeping, permaculture, healthy soils, growing edible plants and Indigenous plants and food, learning different ways to swap single-use plastics, reduce rubbish bin by half, tips for making simple and safe personal care and home cleaning recipes | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | » Meals on Wheels contamination Council was advised by the Department of Health and Human Services on 22 February 2019 that listeria had been detected in some products provided by our Meals on Wheels contractor. Around 200 residents use the service every week with numbers varying on different days. Our Meals on Wheels participants were advised to place any meals they had stored or frozen in a rubbish bag which was collected and disposed of by Council staff. Replacement meals from another supplier were immediately provided to residents by Council and no residents went without a healthy alternative. The residents were also reimbursed for the cost of the meals and alternative arrangements were made to ensure residents received new meals from an alternative supplier until the issue was resolved. | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | Food safety Health and safety Critical and major non-compliance notifications [Number of critical non-compliance notifications and major non-compliance notifications about a food premises followed up / Number of critical non-compliance notifications and major non-compliance notifications about food premises] x100 99.73% 97.08% 100% 100% Data has been taken for the entire 2018 calendar year as per the 2018 Performance Reporting requirements. All non-compliance notifications have been followed up during the reporting period. | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | Food Safety Timeliness Time taken to action food complaints (The average number of days it has taken for Council to action food complaints received from members of the public about the safety or handling of food for sale) 1.93 2.00 1.95 1.73 Data has been taken for the entire 2018 calendar year as per the 2018 Performance Reporting requirements. There is minor variation over the four reporting periods. The overall average for days taken to respond to food complaints has reduced in comparison to 2017 data. | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| AnnualReport2017-18 | Service standard Food safety assessments (The percentage of registered class 1 food premises and class 2 food premises that receive an annual food safety assessment) Service cost Cost of food safety service (The direct cost of the food safety service per food premises registered by Council, or for which Council has received notification, during the year) Health and safety Critical and major non-compliance outcome notifications (The percentage of critical and major non-compliance outcome notifications that are followed up by Council) 2016 2017 2018 2019 Material Variations 98.89% 98.81% 98.44% 99.39% Data has been taken for the entire 2018 calendar year as per the 2018 Performance Reporting requirements. A very slight increase in this measure in comparison to 2017 data. Assessments could not be undertaken at six registered food premises in 2018 as these businesses closed during the year and did not reopen for trade again prior to year’s end. $526.79 $487.62 $471.44 $493.99 The overall average cost of service remains similar to previous years with only a slight increase. 99.73% 97.08% 100% 100% Data has been taken for the entire 2018 calendar year as per the 2018 Performance Reporting requirements. All non-compliance notifications have been followed up during the reporting period. | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Monash | Metropolitan |
| Appendix 1 – Urban Forest Policy | Council will expand existing education and communication to inform the community of the benefits of the urban forest including initiatives such as: • My Smart Garden workshops | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| Appendix 1 – Urban Forest Policy | Council will expand existing education and communication to inform the community of the benefits of the urban forest including initiatives such as: • My Smart Garden workshops | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Whitehorse | Metropolitan |
| APPROVALS AND USE OF LAND OWNED OR MANAGED BY COUNCIL | 5.0 Guidelines 5.1 Guidelines applicable to particular activities, events or temporary uses of land made under this policy will be published on Council’s website, and include (but may not be limited to): a) Events b) Farmer’s/Produce markets | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | NSW | Lismore | Regional |
| APPROVALS AND USE OF LAND OWNED OR MANAGED BY COUNCIL | Council will determine through its Local Environmental Plan zonings which: (i) allow farmers markets with development consent (i.e. require the submission of a development application) or approvals (requires a formal application and compliance with a set of conditions). (ii) prohibit farmers markets. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | NSW | Lismore | Regional |
| APPROVALS AND USE OF LAND OWNED OR MANAGED BY COUNCIL | d) Council requires a formal application and approvals process to allow farmers markets to occur to ensure suitable locations are utilised, pedestrian movement is maintained, waste is managed appropriately and the retail sector is supported. e) Council will determine appropriate fees in accordance with the relevant Policy for an agreement / approval, licence or lease to operate farmers markets on public land. Alternatively, Council may decide to waiver any such fees. f) Applicants will enter a formalised agreement / approval, licence or lease with Council should their application be successful. g) All proponents will have public liability cover of $10,000,000 or be auspiced by an organisation with public liability cover of $10,000,000 h) Farmers markets will generally run for 3-4 hours and all temporary infrastructure will need to be removed and the site returned to its original state at the conclusion of the market. Setup periods either side of the proposed hours will be considered for a maximum period of 30 minutes and trading may be undertaken during these fringe periods. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | NSW | Lismore | Regional |
| APPROVALS AND USE OF LAND OWNED OR MANAGED BY COUNCIL | Lismore City Council has an adopted ‘Approvals and Use of Land Owned or Managed by Council’ Policy. This guideline has been made under that policy to assist staff, farmers’ market organisers, businesses and residents in understanding the assessment and operational framework for busking and spruiking. The aim of this guideline is to recognise the importance of farmers markets in promoting healthy lifestyles and encouraging local food production, distribution and consumption while also recognising the importance of having a structured policy framework in place to minimise complaints, criticism and other issues relating to the ambience and amenity of public spaces. 2 Objectives The objectives of this guideline are to:  support Councils Policy ‘Approvals and Use of Land Owned or Managed by Council’.  support farmers markets to enhance the vibrancy, vitality, diversity and ambience of public spaces  provide certainty and self-regulation to farmers markets within a clearly understood, fair and transparent operating framework  maintain existing levels of public amenity  minimise complaints, criticism and other problems associated with farmers markets  facilitate regulated use of public spaces  clearly distinguish the concept of a farmers' market from other markets, both retail and wholesale  allow consumers to access fresh, locally produced food products direct from the grower  support consumer awareness, so that the public has confidence in the authenticity of producers i.e. that the person they are transacting with is the person who grew or made the produce or that the person at the stall can answer questions regarding the produce and place where it was grown, foraged or made. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | NSW | Lismore | Regional |
| APPROVALS AND USE OF LAND OWNED OR MANAGED BY COUNCIL | No more than 20% of the total number of stalls at Farmers/Produce Markets are permitted to sell prepared hot food and coffee, and all produce sold at the Farmers/Produce Markets is to be sourced from local produce from the Northern Rivers. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | NSW | Lismore | Regional |
| APPROVALS AND USE OF LAND OWNED OR MANAGED BY COUNCIL | The key principle embodied in this policy is that farmers market projects should be initiated, designed, and operated by the local community with support from Council. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | NSW | Lismore | Regional |
| APPROVALS AND USE OF LAND OWNED OR MANAGED BY COUNCIL | No more than 20% of the total number of stalls at Farmers/Produce Markets are permitted to sell prepared hot food and coffee, and all produce sold at the Farmers/Produce Markets is to be sourced from local produce from the Northern Rivers. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | NSW | Lismore | Regional |
| APPROVALS AND USE OF LAND OWNED OR MANAGED BY COUNCIL | allow consumers to access fresh, locally produced food products direct from the grower support consumer awareness, so that the public has confidence in the authenticity of producers i.e. that the person they are transacting with is the person who grew or made the produce or that the person at the stall can answer questions regarding the produce and place where it was grown, foraged or made. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | NSW | Lismore | Regional |
| APPROVALS AND USE OF LAND OWNED OR MANAGED BY COUNCIL | Council has a strong commitment to phasing out single use plastics at all markets and events. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Lismore | Regional |