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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B ATHURST REGIONAL COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2018/2019 | Operate, maintain, repair and upgrade Water Filtration Plant. | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Bathurst | Regional |
| B ATHURST REGIONAL COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2018/2019 | Review, update and adhere to Drinking Water Management System (DWMS). | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Bathurst | Regional |
| B ATHURST REGIONAL COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2018/2019 | Significant reservoir improvements have been completed, with further work planned, to continue to improve the integrity of the drinking water system around Bathurst. | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Bathurst | Regional |
| B ATHURST REGIONAL COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2018/2019 | Water Filtration Plant daily operations are ongoing, with maintenance and repairs conducted as required. The treatment processes are constantly monitored through a SCADA system and reviewed daily by staff. Australian Drinking Water Guideline results were achieved over 95% of time. | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Bathurst | Regional |
| B ATHURST REGIONAL COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2018/2019 | Water security has been high on Council’s priority list and Council received $2.25million from the Safe and Secure water fund from the State Government to strengthen the Winburndale Dam wall to ensure water supplies from this water source. Detailed planning work has also commenced on a range of other water security measures for the city. | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Bathurst | Regional |
| B ATHURST REGIONAL COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2018/2019 | Council to continue education and promotion of appropriate WasteWise behaviours with regard to green waste and recycling. Promote recycling to maximise diversion from landfill. Combined diversion target is 5,000 tonnes. The roll out of information and education will continue throughout 2018 /19. For 2018/2019 to the end of May, food and garden tonnage is 3,774 and recycling is 2,117, giving a total of 5,892 tonnes. 11,889 tonnes of food and garden waste have been sent for composting in the first 38 months (April 2016 to May 2019). Combined with recycling totals show a diversion from landfill of over 19,836 tonnes, or 19.8 million kilograms in the first 3 years. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Bathurst | Regional |
| B ATHURST REGIONAL COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2018/2019 | SUSTAINABLE LIVING 2019 Held on 23 March 2019 this year’s Expo had the theme of Sustainability and Waste Management and featured Craig Reucassel from “War on Waste”. Over 3,800 people attended the event which was held in conjunction with the local Farmer’s Markets. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Bathurst | Regional |
| B ATHURST REGIONAL COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2018/2019 | Council assists local food businesses through access to free online food handling training, advice on premises fit-outs and the provision of regular educational newsletters. These activities are supported by routine inspections of food and skin penetration premises, and implementation of Council’s Onsite Sewage Management Strategy. The OSSM Strategy was revised and adopted in March 2019. High risk septic systems within the water supply catchment area were also identified and assessed to reduce the risk on the drinking water quality. Council continues to work with landholders to increase the number of systems which have a current approval to operate in place. | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | NSW | Bathurst | Regional |
| B ATHURST REGIONAL COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2018/2019 | Meet Council’s obligations in the Food Regulation Partnership and the Food Act 2003 CSP 2040 Strategy Reference 6.4, 5.4 Conduct a program of inspections of food premises including home-based food premises and Bed & Breakfast establishments to ensure compliance with regulations Conduct an inspection of all high and medium risk food premises by June 2019 Implement a risk based inspection program for B&B and home-based food premises Prepare and distribute educational material on food safety three times annually 95% of customer requests responded to within adopted corporate standards 588 food premises, and 430 temporary/mobile food premises inspected during the reporting period. B&B’s inspected during the reporting period and included in figure for food premises as listed above. Local businesses and charity groups provided free access to the “I’m Alert” food safety training program throughout the reporting period. Two food safety newsletters and a food safety calendar distributed during the reporting period. 97.92% of customer requests responded to within adopted service standards in the reporting year with 3 food related requests received. | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | NSW | Bathurst | Regional |
| B ATHURST REGIONAL COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2018/2019 | SUSTAINABLE LIVING 2019 Held on 23 March 2019 this year’s Expo had the theme of Sustainability and Waste Management and featured Craig Reucassel from “War on Waste”. Over 3,800 people attended the event which was held in conjunction with the local Farmer’s Markets. | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | NSW | Bathurst | Regional |
| Ballarat Open Space Strategy | Drinking fountains | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | Victoria | Ballarat | Regional |
| Ballarat Prosperity Framework | Ballarat slow food and garden festivals. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Ballarat | Regional |
| BALLINA SHIRE AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGY | The purpose of this strategy is to outline a range of initiatives that Council and others may pursue to improve housing affordability in Ballina Shire. | Social Policy | Affordable housing | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | Council to show leadership in relation to establishment of a local centre for distribution of local and regional produce (lower emissions and sustainable local economy and local-social cohesion). | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | Council to support/ enable community gardens, school gardens, local farmers market and backyard vegetable gardens | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | Improve capacity for local food resilience (community gardens and farmers markets). | Economic Development | Public food markets and distributors | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | Council to show leadership in relation to establishment of a local centre for distribution of local and regional produce (lower emissions and sustainable local economy and local-social cohesion). | Economic Development | Local food producers | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | Protect prime agricultural land. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | The Northern Rivers Food Links project is a council cooperation initiative of seven Northern Rivers councils and Rous Water. As a collaborative partnership, the project aims to encourage councils to support the community in working towards a more sustainable food future for the region. This project seeks to mitigate climate change impacts associated with food production, distribution and consumption by reducing the reliance on food sourced from outside the region and increasing adoption of more sustainable food production practices. The project also seeks to enhance community resilience to climate change and peak oil impacts by keeping food affordable and accessible and tapping into local production capabilities. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | Council to support/ enable community gardens, school gardens, local farmers market and backyard vegetable gardens | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | Improve capacity for local food resilience (community gardens and farmers markets). | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | Utilise reticulated waste water for agriculture/ horticulture productions. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | Compost bins and worm farms are provided at cost price to Ballina Shire residents who wish to gain the many benefits of composting and worm farming at home. Compost, when added to a garden, improves soil nutrients, microrganism levels and ability to hold water. Worms in a worm farm break down nearly all kinds of fruit and vegetable scraps and convert them to liquid fertiliser (worm tea) and castings which can be used as potting mix for growing seedlings and is also an excellent source of nutrients for plants. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | Council to support/ enable community gardens, school gardens, local farmers market and backyard vegetable gardens | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | Improve capacity for local food resilience (community gardens and farmers markets). | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | Council to show leadership in relation to establishment of a local centre for distribution of local and regional produce (lower emissions and sustainable local economy and local-social cohesion). | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | The Northern Rivers Food Links project is a council cooperation initiative of seven Northern Rivers councils and Rous Water. As a collaborative partnership, the project aims to encourage councils to support the community in working towards a more sustainable food future for the region. This project seeks to mitigate climate change impacts associated with food production, distribution and consumption by reducing the reliance on food sourced from outside the region and increasing adoption of more sustainable food production practices. The project also seeks to enhance community resilience to climate change and peak oil impacts by keeping food affordable and accessible and tapping into local production capabilities. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | Improve capacity for local food resilience (community gardens and farmers markets). | Sustainability and Environment | Food supply and food system resilience | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | Increase the resilience of Council services to maximise availability during adverse climate related events. Identify changes in intensity of rainfall events impacting inflow and infiltration to wastewater network. Collaborate with Rous Water to promote community based water demand management initiatives. Implement Council’s Water Reuse and Reticulation Plan. | Sustainability and Environment | Food supply and food system resilience | NSW | Ballina | Regional |
| Ballina Shire Council Climate Action Strategy 2012-2020 | The Northern Rivers Food Links project is a council cooperation initiative of seven Northern Rivers councils and Rous Water. As a collaborative partnership, the project aims to encourage councils to support the community in working towards a more sustainable food future for the region. This project seeks to mitigate climate change impacts associated with food production, distribution and consumption by reducing the reliance on food sourced from outside the region and increasing adoption of more sustainable food production practices. The project also seeks to enhance community resilience to climate change and peak oil impacts by keeping food affordable and accessible and tapping into local production capabilities. | Sustainability and Environment | Food supply and food system resilience | NSW | Ballina | Regional |