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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Investigate the potential for a “land broker” across the Peninsula to help promote agricultural partnerships and to encourage the lease of underutilised land for agricultural purposes. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | More emphasis on productive agricultural use – agriculture, within the capacity of the land, is viewed as a sustainable use even on small lots. This does not assume that farming can generate a family income on small lots, only that it can generate a return on investment. The interim GWMP Includes a plan to build on the Shire’s 2010 Agricultural Audit and a number of recent state government reports to test the opportunities for future farming on the Peninsula, particularly utilising recycled water and including value adding/capturing via farm sales, farmers markets, events etc. The GWMP also supports the development of a food (security) strategy for Melbourne which would highlight the value of agriculture on the Peninsula. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Objective 1 Promote and Support Farming and Agricultural Productivity in the Green Wedge Farming is the dominant land use in the Green Wedge with about half the land mass of the Green Wedge used for agricultural purposes. Most of this land is used for livestock grazing on treated pastures but vegetable and fruit growing are the dominant activities in the vicinity of Red Hill/Merricks and Hastings/Somerville. The total value of agriculture was estimated at $450 million in 2012, up from $142 million in 1997. The most recent figures indicate that vegetable production has now outstripped chicken meat as the most valuable commodity, but still remains an important agricultural activity as shown in the table below | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Perhaps most significantly, the planning provisions have facilitated the establishment of a balance between a diverse range of land uses and land owner interests, without major amenity conflicts between agricultural producers, recreational visitors and rural residents – suggesting that the density of development and competing uses has not passed a threshold where it is no longer possible for this range of activities to co‐exist. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Prepare public information material in relation to land capability, and opportunities for productive and sustainable peninsula | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Produce a “Living in the Green Wedge” kit and advisory note to address the potential conflicts between farmers and non‐agricultural residents of 10 the rural areas, to provide advice to new and existing residents in the GW, and to the real estate industry, on the objectives of the Green Wedge, including the promotion of emphasis on land stewardship. sustainable agriculture and the | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Review and revise the local planning policy related to agriculture to consider emerging issues such as transport energy costs, food security and water availability. Ensure planning controls seek to maintain a sustainable farming sector on the Peninsula. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Rigorously oppose any amendments to the urban growth boundary that would result in a loss of green wedge land, with particular attention to the high exposure areas around and between townships which are critical to the distinctive settlement pattern on the Peninsula and maintaining the relationship between rural and township areas. 2. Rigourously oppose any amendments to the Green Wedge Zone which would reduce the minimum lot size requirements or introduce excision provisions for dwellings. 3. Ensure all development within Green Wedge settlements is of a type, scale and form consistent with the existing size, role and character of these settlements and that larger scale development is directed to a Major Activity Centres. 4. Complete the Low Density Residential Zones Review and undertake follow‐up studies and amendments to more clearly define the appropriate form of interface between Green Wedge and township boundary areas in particular locations | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | strong land management ethic and the necessary knowledge and resources to manage their land sustainably, others will require active engagement and persuasion through measures such as education, information, training, and financial incentives. Ultimately the goal will be to foster a sense of land stewardship among all landowners and a commitment to their role as long term custodians of the Green Wedge. Landcare networks provide an important avenue for improving land management on private land in terms of providing land management advice and access to funds for appropriate projects. The number of groups has doubled in recent years and Council has an important role in coordinating their activities through its Land Protection Officer. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | The boundaries to urban development have been held and if anything strengthened by the introduction (in 2002) of Urban Growth Boundary legislation. The subdivision controls have also held, and in fact the minimum lot area requirements were increased (to no less than 40 ha – and up to 80 ha in some locations) initially under the Rural Zone and more recently through the introduction of the Green Wedge Zone. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | The Green Wedge Zone limits new subdivision by requiring a minimum lot area of 40 hectares. Although there are special provisions for consideration of subdivision of land that is substantially covered by native vegetation, these provisions are very infrequently utilised and may be reviewed in view of the increased awareness of bushfire risk management. The Zone land use provisions reinforce the role of the Green Wedge as a primarily rural area, by excluding the majority of uses which primarily service an urban population. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | There are a number of local, state and national financial measures available to assist farmers. At a local level, there is the Farm Rate which is available to farms which are run as a business on properties over 2ha. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | there are clusters of activity such as 21 market gardening in Boneo and east of Tyabb, in part based on soil types and water supply. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | There is also assistance available for improvements such as fencing of watercourses, revegetation, and weed control as well as the Land Protection Incentive Scheme and the Land Sustainability Rebate. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | VISION A place that keeps about seventy percent (52,181 hectares) of the Peninsula’s land mass as a rural land resource in recognition of its value for current and future generations. A place that protects, conserves and enhances the diversity, quality and extent of natural systems for their international, national, regional and local significance. A place where sustainable agriculture is supported and the productive capacity of land is conserved and enhanced for the future. A place that retains a rural character, defined by agriculture and natural systems land uses, heritage places, attractive vistas, unobtrusive buildings and a low population settled in relatively few buildings that is: – At its strongest in key locations including: significant landscapes, land with coastal frontage, land adjoining urban growth boundaries and separations between closely located townships, and – Protected by population, industrial and commercial growth being located inside the Urban Growth Boundary. A place for all people to access a high quality regional open space network and diverse rural and coastal landscapes for their health, wellbeing and learning, in particular their need for outdoor, unstructured recreation. A place that supports a township-centred approach to tourism that has most accommodation, retail premises and the like located in townships, but will, in the rural areas, provide limited support for: – Outdoor-based leisure and recreation uses; – Small scale host farm and bed and breakfast accommodation; – Primary produce sales and, in conjunction with established large scale rural enterprises (ie farming, wineries or outdoor leisure and recreation), other retail premises; and, – Other uses that will bring regionally significant and sustainable improvement to the protection and enhancement of natural systems or heritage places. A place that supports landowners to provide sustainable land stewardship. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | while a strong justification for the construction of a dwelling based on existing or prospective agricultural activity may not be appropriate in all cases, it is considered that the proposed use and development of dwellings in the Green Wedge Zone and Special Use Zone must demonstrate a significant positive contribution to the achievement of green wedge objectives. There should be no presumption that a dwelling will be approved on every existing title within the Green Wedge. Equally, there should be recognition that the residential use of rural land i.e. without associated farming or habitat conservation activity (i.e. one of the ‘core’ Green Wedge Uses) is not an objective of the Zone | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | With the development an of land that has occurred over the last 50 years, farms which in the past might previously have had similar farming neighbours, may now have new rural living neighbours with different values and expectations. The new neighbours may have not be familiar with the smells, noise, dust, sprays and late night operations that are a necessary part of modern farming and sometimes these can lead to conflict. Similarly, new activities such as restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and other tourism based businesses may have expectations that do not include important agricultural operations. Legitimate rural activities and farming can be constrained by these disputes adding further to the pressures to displace agriculture from the landscape. Education and information programs are needed to ensure that Green Wedge residents have realistic expectations of living in the Green Wedge, and to foster a positive relationship between those residents, tourism based businesses and the farming community. This is in part addressed through Council’s Interim Policy on Rural Dwellings but as this will only apply to new development it is important to reinforce the need for cooperation on a more general level. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Continue to investigate the opportunities for waste water reuse through the Bunyip Food Bowl project, with the development of the Tyabb/Somerville region as Stage 1 of the project. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Develop network and methodology to obtain sectoral industry data and statistics, specifically gross value production outputs, production levels, water usage and employment numbers, (including upstream and downstream employment impacts), to facilitate monitoring of the health of the agricultural sector on the Peninsula | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Engage with DPI, the VFF and relevant industry groups to investigate opportunities for existing and emerging farming systems on the Peninsula, which have regard to the land ownership pattern, maintaining environmental values, land capability, potential access to recycled water, trends in regional agribusiness, availability of labour, farm diversification, proximity to markets and regional distribution centres, opportunities to capture visitor expenditure, improved transport links, adaptation to future climate change and other relevant factors. This study should consider the scope/market for “bush tucker”, aquaculture, hydroponic production and production utilising dispersed land holdings/ shared farm management. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | However, there are plans for the large scale uses of Class A effluent through a project known as the Bunyip Food Bowl, which would see access to recycled class A water in the areas east of Tyabb. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Licenses to extract water from these aquifers are issued for livestock, domestic purposes, irrigation and industry. Excessive extraction can threaten the long term viability of an aquifer by causing it to compact and reduce its capacity, or by promoting water intrusion from sea water or polluted surface water. It is therefore important for water management agencies to monitor aquifer condition. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Objective 4 Manage the Water Assets of the Green Wedge to Improve Water Quality, Reduce Flooding, and to Enhance Wetland Habitats. One of the major resources of the Mornington Peninsula Green Wedge is a relatively stable and available high quality water supply, from rainfall and ground water, as well as opportunities to access recycled water. These resources are likely to become even more significant over time as climate change poses further the threat of a hotter and drier regime | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Review and revise the local planning policy related to agriculture to consider emerging issues such as transport energy costs, food security and water availability. Ensure planning controls seek to maintain a sustainable farming sector on the Peninsula. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | The interim GWMP Includes a plan to build on the Shire’s 2010 Agricultural Audit and a number of recent state government reports to test the opportunities for future farming on the Peninsula, particularly utilising recycled water | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Even with the issue of broiler farming, a concerted effort by the industry (the Chicken Care Initiative) government (through the Broiler Code) and Council liaison has largely achieved workable outcomes and a low level of complaint. | Sustainability and Environment | Animal husbandry | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Maintain a broiler farm liaison officer and promote membership of broiler farmers in the Chicken Care program or equivalent Environmental Management System and audit process. | Sustainability and Environment | Animal husbandry | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Most of this land is used for livestock grazing on treated pastures | Sustainability and Environment | Animal husbandry | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Promote the conversion of older broiler farms on the Peninsula to free range operation (with a lower stocking density) and work with the industry on this basis to identify opportunities for additional shed floor space. | Sustainability and Environment | Animal husbandry | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |
| MORNINGTON PENINSULA SHIRE INTERIM GREEN WEDGE MANAGEMENT PLAN SEPT 2012 | Promotes the conversion of broiler farms to free range operation as a means of increasing compatibility with adjoining owners/residents. | Sustainability and Environment | Animal husbandry | Victoria | Mornington | Metropolitan |