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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy | Drinking Water Management System Council has a Drinking Water Management System adopted in 2014 (1) which defines the Critical Control Points (CCPs) used to control treated water quality. A review of CCPs was undertaken by Atom Consulting in 2016 (12) and new CCPs have been adopted in October 2017 following a revision of the DWMS by Viridis Consultants. | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy | Drinking water quality Protects public health | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy | Table 6.1: Palerang Community – Water Supply Service Objectives and Targets | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy | Water supply security Adequate potable water for current and future generations with reasonable level of restrictions | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Queanbeyan-Palerang | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy and Strategic Business Plan | Implementation of Drinking Water Management System Improvement Plan; | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Eurobodalla | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy and Strategic Business Plan | The adopted levels of service (for drought security, drinking water quality, water supply, sewer overflows, STP licence compliance and availability of service) will all be met by the preferred IWCM scenario. | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Eurobodalla | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy and Strategic Business Plan | • Southern Region Scheme – reclaimed water use from Tuross Head and Narooma STPs for irrigation of agricultural and dairy farms around Tuross River; and | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | NSW | Eurobodalla | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy and Strategic Business Plan | 9N. Since the level of sewage treatment is dependent on the end use of the effluent and the receiving environment, all options (i.e., previously dismissed and potential new) such as urban open space watering, industrial recycling, non-potable reuse, indirect potable recycling (IPR), direct potable recycling (DPR), agricultural recycling, environmental substitution, waterways discharge, etc. are to be identified and reviewed along with indicative cost estimates and urban water cycle benefits such as secure yield, potable water demand reduction, etc | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | NSW | Eurobodalla | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy and Strategic Business Plan | I18 Council inspections in South Durras have identified over 40 unlicensed bores/spearpoints which are close to septic absorption trenches. Due to the Category 1 soils (sand) and shallow groundwater there is a high risk of contamination of the groundwater supplies. Whilst some properties only use this water for garden/toilet flushing purposes, the absence of large water tanks on some properties indicates that bore water may also be used for showering and potable use. Even if used only for gardening/toilet flushing there is still the risk of contamination of food crops or inhalation of aerosols. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | NSW | Eurobodalla | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy and Strategic Business Plan | Issue 18 – Council inspections in South Durras have identified over 40 unlicensed bores/spearpoints which are close to septic absorption trenches. Due to the Category 1 soils (sand) and shallow groundwater there is a high risk of contamination of the groundwater supplies. Whilst some properties only use this water for garden/toilet flushing purposes, the absence of large water tanks on some properties indicates that bore water may also be used for showering and potable use. Even if used only for gardening/toilet flushing there is still the risk of contamination of food crops or inhalation of aerosols | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | NSW | Eurobodalla | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy and Strategic Business Plan | Reclaimed water use for agriculture; | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | NSW | Eurobodalla | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy and Strategic Business Plan | Reclaimed Water Use Options The 2003 IWCM Strategy considered increased reclaimed water use options as follows: • Urban open space and industrial reuse; • Residential non-potable reuse; • Agricultural crop production; • Northern Region Scheme – reclaimed water use from Batemans Bay and Tomakin STPs for irrigation of dairy farms around Moruya; | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | NSW | Eurobodalla | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy and Strategic Business Plan | The 2003 IWCM Strategy identified the preferred integrated approach for Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba on a TBL basis as centralised management of effluent from existing on-site facilities with agricultural reuse. The capital cost was estimated to be $3.1 million (indexed to 2016$). | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | NSW | Eurobodalla | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy and Strategic Business Plan | Whilst some properties only use this water for garden/toilet flushing purposes, the absence of large water tanks on some properties indicates that bore water may also be used for showering and potable use. Even if used only for gardening/toilet flushing there is still the risk of contamination of food crops or inhalation of aerosols | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | NSW | Eurobodalla | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy and Strategic Business Plan | Issue Water Supply I1 Based on the secure yield estimate for the existing water supply headworks system, the existing supply is expected to be sufficient to meet demand until 2020. If the WSP is gazetted with the extraction rules modelled in the secure yield study, the water supply sources will not be sufficient to supply the dry year demand during a repeat of the worst drought. The secure yield of the water supply system is partly constrained by the capacity of the WTPs. Type of Issue Options Assessed in this IWCM Strategy Capacity, LOS • Demand management – pricing, education, audit, residential and nonresidential rebates and water loss reduction, mandatory BASIX and water sensitive urban design initiatives; • Local supply sources – roof water harvesting, stormwater harvesting and residential grey water reuse; • Increase in extraction, transfer and treatment capacities: • Expansion of drought storage; and • Increased reclaimed water use. | Sustainability and Environment | Food supply and food system resilience | NSW | Eurobodalla | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy and Strategic Business Plan | Strategic planning actions include: • Drought management planning – Review and update of the 2011 Drought Management Plan in 2016/17 and following completion of the water supply augmentation components; | Sustainability and Environment | Food supply and food system resilience | NSW | Eurobodalla | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy and Strategic Business Plan | The adopted levels of service (for drought security, drinking water quality, water supply, sewer overflows, STP licence compliance and availability of service) will all be met by the preferred IWCM scenario. | Sustainability and Environment | Food supply and food system resilience | NSW | Eurobodalla | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy Plan | 15 Occasional non compliance with drinking water guidelines 16 Groundwater quality for Murrumbateman town water supply is poor | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Yass Valley | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy Plan | Occasional non compliance with drinking water guidelines 16 Groundwater quality for MBU town water supply is poor | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Yass Valley | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy Plan | 4.6 Alternative Water Sources 4.6.1 Recycled Water YVC currently utilises recycled water to irrigate agricultural land during summer (160 ML/year). A number of potential reuse sites have been identified as discussed above. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | NSW | Yass Valley | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy Plan | Direct agricultural application. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | NSW | Yass Valley | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy Plan | Traditional land use including land clearing, loss of riparian vegetation, deforestation, and agricultural uses has resulted in poor fertility, soil erosion, acidic soils and dryland salinity 8 9 Extensive land clearing and grazing has contributed to dryland salinity | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | NSW | Yass Valley | Regional |
| Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy Plan | Emergency bore, preparation of drought management plan and study on sensitivity of Yass dam yield | Sustainability and Environment | Food supply and food system resilience | NSW | Yass Valley | Regional |
| Integrated Water Management (IWM) | There are numerous farm dams within the Shire and together these represent a significant proportion of total allocations for the area (refer to Table 8). The allocations for Diamond Creek are significantly above the allocation limit due to farm dams being registered and added after the cap was set. Plenty River is also slightly above its allocation limit. As such, no new diversion licenses are likely to be approved in this area | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Nillumbik | Metropolitan |
| INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN | Minimising the impact of agricultural dam and extractive water use on natural waterways by increasing alternative water supply for Hume’s agricultural areas, including Keilor Market Gardens | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Hume | Metropolitan |
| INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN | Water for agriculture – Minimising the impact of agricultural dam and extractive water use on natural waterways by increasing alternative water supply for Hume’s agricultural areas, including Keilor Market Gardens. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Hume | Metropolitan |
| INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN | Council has made significant achievements in IWM including: ~ Installation of rainwater tanks at over 70 Councilowned facilities that can store over 1 million litres of water (as of 2019). These facilities include Council’s Global Learning Centres, preschools, neighbourhood houses, sports pavilions, local clubrooms, community gardens, and community centres to provide an alternative to using drinking water for things like toiletflushing and watering garden beds. | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | Victoria | Hume | Metropolitan |
| INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN | Council has made significant achievements in IWM including: ~ Installation of rainwater tanks at over 70 Councilowned facilities that can store over 1 million litres of water (as of 2019). These facilities include Council’s Global Learning Centres, preschools, neighbourhood houses, sports pavilions, local clubrooms, community gardens, and community centres to provide an alternative to using drinking water for things like toiletflushing and watering garden beds. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Hume | Metropolitan |
| INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN | Minimising the impact of agricultural dam and extractive water use on natural waterways by increasing alternative water supply for Hume’s agricultural areas, including Keilor Market Gardens | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Hume | Metropolitan |
| INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN | Water for agriculture – Minimising the impact of agricultural dam and extractive water use on natural waterways by increasing alternative water supply for Hume’s agricultural areas, including Keilor Market Gardens. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Hume | Metropolitan |