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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maroondah 2040 Community Vision | There will be opportunities for community gardens that will promote equitable and sustainable sourced healthy food systems. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah 2040 Community Vision | Work in partnership with local communities to encourage thriving community gardens and promote sustainably grown local produce | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah 2040 Community Vision | Embrace a preventative evidence-based approach to addressing issues of chronic and communicable disease, food safety, and public health | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah Affordable and Social Housing Policy 2018 | this Policy outlines four priority areas that will enable Council to play an increased role: 1. Facilitate effective planning direction and innovative support 2. Play a key facilitation and brokerage role to support the delivery of increased affordable and social housing in Maroondah 3. Work in partnership to advocate for increased investment and support for affordable and social housing 4. Apply a proactive approach to encouraging greater investment and supply of social and affordable housing through land use planning provisions | Social Policy | Affordable housing | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Council will continue to implement its volunteering and student placement programs during 2019/20. These programs provide opportunities for volunteers and students to support the wider community. Council’s volunteers assist with programs such as Meals on Wheels, Maroondah’s Disability Advisory Committee, maintaining our bushland and reserves, arts and cultural programs, community gardens and many more. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Council’s volunteer and student placement program continues Council continued to provide its volunteering and student placement program providing opportunities for volunteers and students to support the wider community. Council volunteers assist with programs such as Meals on Wheels, maintaining our bushland, reserves and community gardens, arts and cultural programs, and advisory committees. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Eastern Affordable Housing Alliance / Committee | Social Policy | Affordable housing | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Victorian Government’s Healthy Choices framework to be implemented in Council facilities Council has commenced the implementation of the Victorian Government’s Healthy Choices Framework and standards as part of the funding agreement for Maroondah Nets, which commenced operations in May 2019. Healthy Choices is a framework for improving availability and promotion of healthier foods and drinks in community settings, which sees alignment of the food and drinks available at sport and recreation centres with the health promotion messages of physical activity for good health. Council is investigating the future implementation of the Healthy Choices Framework at other Council facilities. | Health and Wellbeing | Healthy/sustainable LG food procurement policies | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Good Food for Me program for older residents The Good Food for Me pilot program included a public seminar and a separate short course which supported older people to enhance their health and wellbeing by understanding their nutritional needs and how to prepare meals with ease and minimal waste. Developed by Council’s Occupational Therapy team, the program will be held again in August 2019. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Maroondah offers free composting workshops Composting is a great way to cut down on household waste. Council ran free beginner composting workshops to help households reduce waste, decrease the burden on landfills while at the same time adding important nutrients to lawns and gardens and improving water retention. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Croydon Activity Centre Multicultural Festival Council made a significant contribution to the 2019 Croydon Multicultural Festival, held on 17 March. The theme Proud to Belong – Your Generation, Your Stories showcased the cultural diversity of our many communities in Maroondah through music and dance performances and a Multicultural Village with street food, market stalls and kids’ zone. Council worked with the Croydon Main Street Traders Association to provide marketing and event management assistance to local businesses to ensure this inclusive community event was a success. | Health and Wellbeing | Traditional food cultures | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Maroondah participates in a 20-Minute Neighbourhoods Pilot Project In January 2018, Council received funding to participate in a 20-Minute Neighbourhoods Pilot Project. The Pilot sought to explore potential solutions for creating healthier, walkable, more connected neighbourhoods to inspire enhanced local living. Through this pilot, Council trialled a new co-design approach to neighbourhood planning in Croydon South, with a focus on collaborative place-based practices. Strong partnerships were built with project partners, Victorian Government agencies and the local community through a series of engagement activities and events. The project has highlighted a range of future improvements for the Croydon South neighbourhood along with the development of a new neighbourhood planning framework. | Health and Wellbeing | Accessible healthy food retail | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Council will continue to implement its volunteering and student placement programs during 2019/20. These programs provide opportunities for volunteers and students to support the wider community. Council’s volunteers assist with programs such as Meals on Wheels, Maroondah’s Disability Advisory Committee, maintaining our bushland and reserves, arts and cultural programs, community gardens and many more. | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Council’s volunteer and student placement program continues Council continued to provide its volunteering and student placement program providing opportunities for volunteers and students to support the wider community. Council volunteers assist with programs such as Meals on Wheels, maintaining our bushland, reserves and community gardens, arts and cultural programs, and advisory committees | Sustainability and Environment | Food production on LG land | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Council supports residents to compost at home through the Compost Revolution initiative | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Council will continue to implement its volunteering and student placement programs during 2019/20. These programs provide opportunities for volunteers and students to support the wider community. Council’s volunteers assist with programs such as Meals on Wheels, Maroondah’s Disability Advisory Committee, maintaining our bushland and reserves, arts and cultural programs, community gardens and many more. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Council’s volunteer and student placement program continues Council continued to provide its volunteering and student placement program providing opportunities for volunteers and students to support the wider community. Council volunteers assist with programs such as Meals on Wheels, maintaining our bushland, reserves and community gardens, arts and cultural programs, and advisory committees | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Maroondah offers free composting workshops Composting is a great way to cut down on household waste. Council ran free beginner composting workshops to help households reduce waste, decrease the burden on landfills while at the same time adding important nutrients to lawns and gardens and improving water retention. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Council supports residents to compost at home through the Compost Revolution initiative | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Implement the Eastern Organics Contract Through the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group, an organics contract has been tendered out by five councils in Melbourne’s east – Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Whitehorse and Yarra Ranges. The contract will open up opportunities for participating councils to expand kerbside green waste collections to include food waste. This agreement will help to ensure Melbourne’s organics processing network is on track to exceed the target set out in the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Implementation Plan of 400,000 tonnes of capacity by 2021. Preferred tenderers have been selected and work is progressing on the contract particulars. Status: In progress Responsibility: Corporate Services | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Maroondah offers free composting workshops Composting is a great way to cut down on household waste. Council ran free beginner composting workshops to help households reduce waste, decrease the burden on landfills while at the same time adding important nutrients to lawns and gardens and improving water retention. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | A broad range of proactive and reactive activities are undertaken that include the registration and assessment of food and health businesses; statutory food and water sampling | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Business Victoria Regulation Review in relation to the Food Act The 2018 Small Business Victoria Regulation Review recommended a number of reforms to make it easier for small business to understand and comply with food safety regulation. Council will continue to work with the Victorian Government to implement these changes. | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Development of inspection tool in Mobile Pathway, consultation with business and guidance material provided online for the Food Safety Risk Assessment | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Implementing Food Safety Risk Management compliance program A Food Safety Risk Management Framework has been developed, which includes a mobile Pathway assessment tool, new assessment reports and guidance documentation for businesses. Extensive consultation with businesses sought their feedback with positive responses being received. Implementation will begin in July 2019. | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Annual Report 2018/19 | Victorian Local Government Performance Reporting Framework: Statement of service performance Service/indicator/ measure Food Safety Timeliness Time taken to action food complaints Measure expressed as Number of days taken to action food complaints Expected range: 1 to 10 days Service standard Food safety assessments % of registered class 1 food premises and class 2 food premises that receive an annual food safety assessment Expected range: 50% to 100% Service cost Cost of food safety service $ direct cost of the food safety service per registered food premises Expected range: $300 to $1,200 Health and safety Critical and major non-compliance notifications % of critical and major non- compliance outcome notifications that are followed up by council Expected range: 60% to 100% 92.3% 92.3% 100% 99.06% 2018 Calendar year No material variation $667.85 $639.70 $738.76 $689.36 No material variation Result 15/16 1.3 Result 16/17 1.9 Result 17/18 1.88 Result 18/19 1.24 2018 calendar year Material variation comment There has been a decrease in the time taken to respond to complaints in 2018, compared with 2017 data. 89.5% 98.5% 98.0% 100% 2018 calendar year No material variation | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Council Plan 2017-2021 | Advocate and promote the increased provision of affordable housing options in accessible locations | Social Policy | Affordable housing | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Council Plan 2017-2021 | Eastern Affordable Housing Alliance | Social Policy | Affordable housing | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Council Plan 2017-2021 | Promote healthy eating and physical activity by supporting education initiatives and providing a diverse range of accessible open spaces, and recreation facilities and services | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |
| Maroondah City Council Council Plan 2017-2021 | Work in partnership to provide a safe and efficient integrated transport network that enhances liveability, encourages a shift in travel modes and promotes Maroondah as a 20-minute city | Health and Wellbeing | Accessible healthy food retail | Victoria | Maroondah | Metropolitan |