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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOMESTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT POLICY | 4.8 Composting and Worm Farming Rebate Council offers a rebate as per Council’s Waste Service Brochure for any compost bin or worm farm purchased by residents who live in the Local Government Area. This is provided to encourage resource recovery and assistance in starting a worm farm or compost system at home. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | NSW | Liverpool | Metropolitan |
| DOMESTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT POLICY | Council provides free composting and worm farming educational workshops to residents once a year. These workshops demonstrate the benefits of composting and worm farming, and give troubleshooting tips. Workshops are advertised and residents must register to attend. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | NSW | Liverpool | Metropolitan |
| DOMESTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT POLICY | 4.8 Composting and Worm Farming Rebate Council offers a rebate as per Council’s Waste Service Brochure for any compost bin or worm farm purchased by residents who live in the Local Government Area. This is provided to encourage resource recovery and assistance in starting a worm farm or compost system at home. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Liverpool | Metropolitan |
| DOMESTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT POLICY | Council provides free composting and worm farming educational workshops to residents once a year. These workshops demonstrate the benefits of composting and worm farming, and give troubleshooting tips. Workshops are advertised and residents must register to attend. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Liverpool | Metropolitan |
| Domestic Waste Services Policy | Attend a free home composting demonstration run by Council. Food and compostable material makes up approximately 50% of residential waste. Therefore, the adoption of home composting practices can significantly reduce the volume of household waste and possibly prevent the need for additional waste capacity service. Council sells compost bins and worm farms at cost price to residents. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Canterbury Bankstown | Metropolitan |
| Domestic Waste Services Policy | Attend a free home composting demonstration run by Council. Food and compostable material makes up approximately 50% of residential waste. Therefore, the adoption of home composting practices can significantly reduce the volume of household waste and possibly prevent the need for additional waste capacity service. Council sells compost bins and worm farms at cost price to residents. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | NSW | Canterbury Bankstown | Metropolitan |
| Domestic Waste Services Policy | Therefore, it is possible to achieve a diversion rate of approximately 85.7% through the effective use of the recycling and garden vegetation services available through Council, as well as home composting practices. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | NSW | Canterbury Bankstown | Metropolitan |
| Domestic Waste Services Policy | Attend a free home composting demonstration run by Council. Food and compostable material makes up approximately 50% of residential waste. Therefore, the adoption of home composting practices can significantly reduce the volume of household waste and possibly prevent the need for additional waste capacity service. Council sells compost bins and worm farms at cost price to residents. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Canterbury Bankstown | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | encouraging avoidance of products with too much packaging, and reducing the amount of food that households throw away each week. A focused effort on reducing food waste presents a significant opportunity, as this currently makes up 40 per cent of our waste going to landfill. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | We will promote a reduction of single use plastics (for example plastic bags and coffee cups). 4. We will work with residents and businesses to encourage the purchase of products that can be reused and have minimal packaging. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | 13. We will develop and implement trials for community composting and other communal food recycling opportunities for commercial premises. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | RECYCLE 3 Separating out waste into components Turning waste into new products Composting organic materials/food | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | The South Melbourne Market successfully diverts organic waste from landfill on a large scale, via two processes. The first uses a GAIA recycling machine which via a fermentation and dehydration process produces a nutrient rich fertiliser known as SoilFood™ This machine takes 8.4 tonnes a week of waste products such as fish offal, coffee, leftovers from cafes, citrus, onion, breads and non-edible waste that can’t be used by the food banks. This process produces over a tonne a week of fertiliser. Over a year GAIA also harvests 300,000 litres of waste water which is stored in tanks and then used for wash-down and irrigation purposes. To date the market has diverted over 950 tonnes from landfill. The market also has large-scale vermicomposting of green waste, resulting in a specially formulated, organic garden fertiliser called Market Magic. Keen gardeners can purchase both fertiliser products from the Market office or nursery and florist traders. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | We will develop and implement trials for community composting and other communal food recycling opportunities for commercial premises. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | The City of Port Phillip is investigating new Advanced Waste Treatment (AWT) options currently being planned for in Victoria, as a future solution for food recycling. These AWT processes have the potential to provide better overall environmental and cost outcomes for the community, compared to introducing a new third bin to our collection service. The new Advanced Waste Treatment options can pre-sort recyclables and organics from the waste bin as part of a treatment process. This type of solution would prevent the need for any new collection service. The City of Port Phillip is working with the MWRRG to ensure a solution for the community that minimises additional trucks on the road, is cost effective and is accessible to all residents (including those living in apartments). | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | • 80 per cent of waste diverted from landfill • 50 per cent reduction in food waste. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | 13. We will develop and implement trials for community composting and other communal food recycling opportunities for commercial premises. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | 9. We will work towards the following targets, and encourage the Victorian Government to set these for Fishermans Bend: • 80 per cent of waste diverted from landfill • 50 per cent reduction in food waste. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | Businesses through how they package goods and dispose of waste, particularly food. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | BY 2028 50% diverted • food waste diversion from landfill within house/apartment, Council and commercial buildings * | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | encouraging avoidance of products with too much packaging, and reducing the amount of food that households throw away each week. A focused effort on reducing food waste presents a significant opportunity, as this currently makes up 40 per cent of our waste going to landfill. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | Organics treatment | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | Priority actions 1. We will recognise and reward households and businesses that reduce their total waste. 2. We will work with businesses to rescue surplus food and create food rescue opportunities (working with organisations such as Second Bite to get food to those in need). 3. We will promote a reduction of single use plastics (for example plastic bags and coffee cups). 4. We will work with residents and businesses to encourage the purchase of products that can be reused and have minimal packaging. * Participating commercial operatings only. Source: Sustainability Victoria Local Government Annual Report 2015/16 http://www.sustainability.vic.gov. au/Government/Victorian-Waste-data-portal/Victorian-Local-Government-Annual-Waste-Services-report 5. We will advocate to government to ban use of single-use plastics, and all unnecessary plastic packaging. 6. We will advocate to government to ban use of non-recyclable items and packaging through the Product Stewardship Scheme and other policy opportunities. 7. We will advocate to government to advance zero waste and circular economy initiatives (including redesign and rethinking of systems) at local, state and federal levels. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | RECYCLE 3 Separating out waste into components Turning waste into new products Composting organic materials/food | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | South Melbourne Market converts food waste to compost Port Phillip Council’s commitment to excellence in waste management was recognised in 2017 through winning two prestigious environmental awards for a waste reduction project at South Melbourne Market, which it owns and runs. The project demonstrated that it is possible to successfully divert organic waste from landfill on a large scale, and is a template for communities, consumers, traders and Council working together for the future. The South Melbourne Market successfully diverts organic waste from landfill on a large scale, via two processes. The first uses a GAIA recycling machine which via a fermentation and dehydration process produces a nutrient rich fertiliser known as SoilFood™ This machine takes 8.4 tonnes a week of waste products such as fish offal, coffee, leftovers from cafes, citrus, onion, breads and non-edible waste that can’t be used by the food banks. This process produces over a tonne a week of fertiliser. Over a year GAIA also harvests 300,000 litres of waste water which is stored in tanks and then used for wash-down and irrigation purposes. To date the market has diverted over 950 tonnes from landfill. The market also has large-scale vermicomposting of green waste, resulting in a specially formulated, organic garden fertiliser called Market Magic. Keen gardeners can purchase both fertiliser products from the Market office or nursery and florist traders. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | These new technologies are called Advanced Waste Treatment facilities and can come in three different types: • Biological processes • Advanced sorting solutions • Thermal treatment (waste to energy) solutions. These three solutions are used widely in Europe and parts of Asia, and are often used in combination to meet the needs of the community. These technologies are all being considered by Council as the next big step in waste management. The table below compares these processes. Each process has a variety of options to choose from. The minimisation of greenhouse gas emissions is a critical consideration in this decision-making process. Both thermal and biological waste processes still do have a level of greenhouse gas emissions as an output of processing waste, however these levels are significantly lower compared with current landfill. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | Trialling community food recycling opportunities | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | We asked you PAYING MORE TO REDUCE WASTE TO LANDFILL “To what extent would you support paying a bit more for other options to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, including green and organic waste collections?” 61% 61% of respondents supported paying more for waste services. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | We will advocate to government for better management of existing landfill sites, including by ensuring maximum possible methane capture, improving the environmental standards for operating landfills, and keeping organics out of landfill | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |
| Don’t Waste It! Waste Management Strategy 2018-28 | We will advocate to government for better management of existing landfill sites, including by ensuring maximum possible methane capture, improving the environmental standards for operating landfills, and keeping organics out of landfill. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Port Phillip | Metropolitan |