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.
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| Document title | Relevant text in the policy | Domain | Topic | State | Local Government name | Council type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Rural City of Wangaratta 2030 Community Vision | The highly valuable agricultural land throughout the Rural City of Wangaratta has been protected from development, ensuring that both the look and feel of the area remains rural. Agriculture continues to play a major role in our local economy. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Wangaratta | Regional |
| The Rural City of Wangaratta 2030 Community Vision | The high-value and productive rural agricultural land in the Rural City of Wangaratta has been strongly protected and preserved for agricultural activities. This has both maintained the rural feel of the area and ensured that agriculture continues to form a key element of the local economy. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Wangaratta | Regional |
| The Rural City of Wangaratta 2030 Community Vision | The King River forms the foundation of tourism, viticulture and horticulture throughout the King Valley, providing the basis for the premium food and wine from the region. The link between the healthy state of our natural environment and tourism in the region has never been stronger. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Wangaratta | Regional |
| The Rural City of Wangaratta 2030 Community Vision | The long term land-use planning that has been carefully implemented over the past twenty years has assisted the agricultural and industrial sectors of our local economy to develop with greater certainty and confidence. This has included identifying land within the Rural City of Wangaratta suitable for different economic activities and future development opportunities. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Wangaratta | Regional |
| The Rural City of Wangaratta 2030 Community Vision | The rural areas separating townships remain essentially productive and viable agricultural properties or Crown Land. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Wangaratta | Regional |
| The Rural City of Wangaratta 2030 Community Vision | The Rural City of Wangaratta has become renowned for its clean and green produce in local, major city and international markets. Preserving a healthy natural environment in which to grow produce has been central to the agricultural sector’s ability to maintain a competitive edge and point of difference in the global economy. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Wangaratta | Regional |
| The Rural City of Wangaratta 2030 Community Vision | Urban sprawl surrounding Wangaratta and rural townships has long been contained through the adoption of defined urban growth boundaries. New developments have been focussed within existing urban areas, avoiding the incremental development and fragmentation of valuable agricultural land. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Wangaratta | Regional |
| The Rural City of Wangaratta 2030 Community Vision | We have embraced the notion of sustainability in business and agriculture. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Wangaratta | Regional |
| The Rural City of Wangaratta 2030 Community Vision | Weeds are proactively managed and no longer present a major threat to our environment and agricultural productivity. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Wangaratta | Regional |
| The Rural City of Wangaratta 2030 Community Vision | Our agriculture and industry sectors have led the way in developing and introducing best practice water efficiency measures. This has enabled greater efficiency in production and smarter ways of running agribusinesses. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Wangaratta | Regional |
| The Rural City of Wangaratta 2030 Community Vision | The agricultural sectors of our economy are more diverse and extensive today than they have ever been. Many of the traditional farming enterprises have reinvented themselves as the local climate and seasonal variability have changed and water has become scarcer. The diversification of the agricultural sectors has enabled them to be more flexible and resilient to variations in weather. Through this process new specialities of the region have emerged, which could not have been envisaged 20 years ago. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable water management in food production | Victoria | Wangaratta | Regional |
| The Rural City of Wangaratta 2030 Community Vision | Livestock Exchange Advisory Committee | Sustainability and Environment | Animal husbandry | Victoria | Wangaratta | Regional |
| The Rural City of Wangaratta 2030 Community Vision | We have increasingly demanded that food produced locally be available fresh from the farm. Vibrant and expanded produce markets and food cooperatives across the Rural City of Wangaratta have provided an outlet for local produce, without having to accrue unnecessary food miles and shipped distances. This has fostered a culture of localisation. | Sustainability and Environment | Strengthen food chain connections/distribution | Victoria | Wangaratta | Regional |
| The Rural City of Wangaratta 2030 Community Vision | The agricultural sectors of our economy are more diverse and extensive today than they have ever been. Many of the traditional farming enterprises have reinvented themselves as the local climate and seasonal variability have changed and water has become scarcer. The diversification of the agricultural sectors has enabled them to be more flexible and resilient to variations in weather. Through this process new specialities of the region have emerged, which could not have been envisaged 20 years ago. | Sustainability and Environment | Food supply and food system resilience | Victoria | Wangaratta | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN | OUR INFRASTRUCTURE Strategy IN5 Ensure high quality water supply options for the towns in the region. What may the Councils’ role be? • To ensure access to secure quality water supply services across the region. Areas of potential focus and key issues to consider: • Some villages and rural lots wish to retain the choice as to whether or not they use town water services. • Quality of water is an important issue in some Council areas and illage an ontinue or toar thee ientifie area i ruial. How will we know we are successful? (KPIs) • Number of properties supplied with water service infrastructure • Drinking water quality indicators Who will also play a part in this? Councils NSW Government Water service providers | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Goulburn Mulwaree | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN | To ensure adequate land is zoned for agricultural purposes. • | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Goulburn Mulwaree | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN | To promote sustainable agricultural practices. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Goulburn Mulwaree | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN | Foster and develop a diverse, adaptive, and innovative agricultural industry. What may the Councils’ role be? • To promote the region as a place of agricultural innovation and excellence. • o ientif otential groth inutrie oatile ith the region climate and environment. | Sustainability and Environment | Food supply and food system resilience | NSW | Goulburn Mulwaree | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN | OUR INFRASTRUCTURE Strategy IN5 Ensure high quality water supply options for the towns in the region. What may the Councils’ role be? • To ensure access to secure quality water supply services across the region. Areas of potential focus and key issues to consider: • Some villages and rural lots wish to retain the choice as to whether or not they use town water services. • Quality of water is an important issue in some Council areas and villages, and continued work towards these identified areas is crucial. How will we know we are successful? (KPIs) • Number of properties supplied with water service infrastructure • Drinking water quality indicators Who will also play a part in this? Councils NSW Government Water service providers | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Upper Lachlan | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN | To ensure adequate land is zoned for agricultural purposes | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Upper Lachlan | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN | To promote sustainable agricultural practices | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | NSW | Upper Lachlan | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN | The regions history, natural beauty and proximity to Canberra offers residents a high quality of life. Strong agriculture, tourism and retail sectors also provide excellent employment opportunities. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | NSW | Goulburn Mulwaree | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN | To plan, facilitate and support local events that celebrate local produce and businesses, culture, arts and history. | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | NSW | Goulburn Mulwaree | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN | Foster and develop a diverse, adaptive, and innovative agricultural industry. What may the Councils’ role be? • To promote the region as a place of agricultural innovation and excellence. • o ientif otential groth inutrie oatile ith the region climate and environment. • To promote sustainable agricultural practices. • To ensure adequate land is zoned for agricultural purposes. • To provide advice and assistance on access to funding and grant applications. Areas of potential focus and key issues to consider: • Aooate ierifiation of eiting agriultural ratie an methods. • Support emerging industries such as viticulture. • A thriing agriultural inutr i e to the region uniue rural harater an i a ignifiant touri rier. How will we know we are successful? (KPIs) • Km2 the region. • Value of exports. • Number of businesses exporting. Who will also play a part in this? Councils Federal Government 30 NSW Government Local Business & Industry Community Organisations (or percentage of total land) of productive | Economic Development | Local food producers | NSW | Goulburn Mulwaree | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN | To plan, facilitate and support local events that celebrate local produce and businesses, culture, arts and history. | Economic Development | Local food producers | NSW | Goulburn Mulwaree | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN | Foster and develop a diverse, adaptive, and innovative agricultural industry. What may the Councils’ role be? • To promote the region as a place of agricultural innovation and excellence. • To identify potential growth industries compatible with the regions’ climate and environment. • To promote sustainable agricultural practices. • To ensure adequate land is zoned for agricultural purposes. • To provide advice and assistance on access to funding and grant applications. Areas of potential focus and key issues to consider: • Accommodate diversification of existing agricultural practices and methods. • Support emerging industries such as viticulture. • A thriving agricultural industry is key to the region’s unique rural character and is a significant tourism driver. How will we know we are successful? (KPIs) • Km2 the region. • Value of exports. • Number of businesses exporting. Who will also play a part in this? Councils Federal Government 30 NSW Government Local Business & Industry Community Organisations (or percentage of total land) of productive agricultural land within | Economic Development | Food related job creation | NSW | Upper Lachlan | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN | To plan, facilitate and support local events that celebrate local produce and businesses, culture, arts and history. | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | NSW | Upper Lachlan | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN | To provide advice and assistance on access to funding and grant applications. | Economic Development | Local food producers | NSW | Upper Lachlan | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2036 | The regions history, natural beauty and proximity to Canberra offers residents a high quality of life. Strong agriculture, tourism and retail sectors also provide excellent employment opportunities. | Economic Development | Food related job creation | NSW | Yass Valley | Regional |
| The Tablelands REGIONAL COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2036 | To plan, facilitate and support local events that celebrate local produce and businesses, culture, arts and history. | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | NSW | Yass Valley | Regional |