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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | 2.4 Review the links between Food Know How and Grow Your Own programs | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | 2.6 Investigate the potential to provide seed starter packs for residents to encourage | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | 4.6 Investigate current right to solar access protections for gardeners | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | A dedicated urban agriculture facilitator who provides advice to residents on how to start and maintain community growing space/gardens. Establishing the Community Growing Spaces program to help residents set up public planter boxes, laneway and nature strip gardens. As part of the program, Council provides step-by-step advice, planter boxes, land and public liability insurance. Establishing the Yarra Urban Agriculture Advisory Committee, which provides support to the community and advice to Council about local urban agriculture issues. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Actions 1.1.1 Continue to deliver and manage the Community Growing Spaces program Responsibility Lead Urban Agriculture Facilitator Responsibility Support City Works Business Support Team Priority High Timeline Measureabl e Outcomes Year 1,2,3,4 Program available to residents Evaluation Number of residents participating in the program | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Actions Responsibility Lead 1.5 Investigate feasibility of land-share programs Urban Agriculture Facilitator | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Facilitate access to space for people to grow and recycle food We will: Provide access to growing space for residents through the Community Growing Spaces Program. Facilitate landshare within our community for the purpose of food growing and recycling. Work with developers to facilitate the provision of land for growing food and recycling in new developments. Support community groups in negotiations with landowners to facilitate long and short-term urban agriculture opportunities. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Increase food skills and knowledge through education and training We will: Develop an annual program of events and activities to promote urban agriculture. Undertake a comprehensive program of community, business and stakeholder engagement to understand community expectations of urban agriculture. Promote urban agriculture in publications and on the Council website. Partner with local educational institutions to promote urban agriculture. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Increase food skills and knowledge through engagement, education and training We will: Develop an annual program of events and activities to promote urban agriculture. Undertake a comprehensive program of community, business and stakeholder engagement to understand community expectations of urban agriculture. Promote urban agriculture in publications and on the Council website. Partner with educational institutions to promote urban agriculture. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Many of the strategic objectives and actions outlined in this Strategy will be measurable and form the groundwork from which the community can grow, produce and share its own food | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Objectives The following objectives have been developed to support the vision and direction. 1. Facilitate access to space for people to grow food We will: Provide access to growing space for residents through the Community Growing Spaces Program. Facilitate landshare within our community for the purpose of food growing. Work with developers to facilitate the provision of land for growing food in new developments. Support community groups in negotiations with landowners to facilitate long and short-term urban agriculture opportunities. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Providing worm farms and compost bins for purchase. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Running a variety of workshops throughout the year to give residents skills in topics such as small space gardening, organic gardening, beekeeping, composting and keeping chickens. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Supporting schools, neighbourhood houses and non-profit community organisations to start or manage communal food gardens with grants, resources and community connections. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | The previous Urban Agriculture Strategy 2014 – 2018 developed a range of initiatives such as planter boxes, vertical gardens and the use of other public and private land to help ameliorate these challenges and to demonstrate that it is possible to grow food in the urban environment. These activities have helped build the profile and legitimacy of urban agriculture. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | There are many institutions who have and continue to be instrumental to bringing urban agriculture to the community in Yarra, particularly Cultivating Community, our many wonderful Neighbourhood Houses, schools and colleges, and the Collingwood Children’s Farm. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | To reduce the loss of nutrients from the food system by exploring and facilitating local and municipal composting solutions. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Updated content on website and map of urban agriculture sites. Map completed and publically available | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Urban agriculture in Yarra today is largely made up of a mixture of home growers, community gardens, composting hubs, farmers markets, laneway gardens, nature strip plantings and over 170 planter boxes along Yarra streets. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Vision Yarra contributes to a sustainable city where our community grows, produces and shares food as part of a healthy and resilient food system. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | What does urban agriculture in Yarra look like now? | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Yarra’s key roles in supporting a local food system are: 1. To assist our community in growing food through facilitating access to public and private spaces. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Create and protect opportunities for food growing and recycling in Yarra. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Gather available evidence to better understand urban agriculture and how it fits into the broader food system. Develop methods to embed urban agriculture into projects and developments within council and the City of Yarra. Create and protect opportunities for food growing, sharing and recycling in Yarra. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Running a variety of workshops throughout the year to give residents skills in topics such as small space gardening, organic gardening, beekeeping, composting and keeping chickens. | Sustainability and Environment | Animal husbandry | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | What does urban agriculture in Yarra look like now? | Sustainability and Environment | Animal husbandry | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | 1.2.1 Review and update Council's Urban Agriculture guidelines including community composting Urban Agriculture Facilitator Open Space Design Team Streetscapes and Natural Values Team | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | 1.2.3 Streamline the application process for the Community Growing Spaces program including community composting Urban Agriculture Facilitator | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | 2.1 Develop an annual communications plan to increase the visibility of urban agriculture work in Yarra e.g. food swaps, farmers markets, community composting | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |
| Urban Agriculture Strategy 2019-23 | Providing worm farms and compost bins for purchase. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Yarra | Metropolitan |