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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy | promote home composting and worm farming of food and garden waste for households that have a kerbside service through either a rebate or council bulk purchasing | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Hepburn | Regional |
| Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy | Promote home composting and worm farming of food and garden waste for households that have a kerbside service through either a rebate or council bulk purchasing | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Hepburn | Regional |
| Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy | Proposed Strategy Actions • Further investigate the possibility of implementing a food waste avoidance program | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Hepburn | Regional |
| Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy | Reduce GHG emissions A reduction in organic material disposed to landfill Baseline value 220 kg/hh/yr from kerbside Target Value 191 kg/hh/yr without a kerbside organics service 70 kg/hh/yr with a kerbside organics service Key Assumptions Based on 2008 bin audits which indicated 49% organic matter (garden, food and paper/cardboard) and using the 2010/11 figure of 449 kg/hh/yr for kerbside waste generation2 . The baseline and target can be revised if data from new waste audits shows an organics composition significantly different to the 2008 audit. 49% of the total waste to landfill from kerbside 46% without a kerbside organics service Based on the 2008 bin audit and applying the same composition to the transfer station waste stream3 | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Hepburn | Regional |
| Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy | Strategy Objective Reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with Council’s waste management activities Proposed Option Option 2: Increasing the size of the recycling bin from 240 litres to 360 litres Option 3: Encouraging the use of compost bins and worm farms for food and garden waste Option 6: Implementing a kerbside collection for household garden and food waste | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Hepburn | Regional |
| Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy | Training and education would be provided to participating households to maximise the likelihood of composting and worm farming being undertaking correctly and not becoming anaerobic | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Hepburn | Regional |
| Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy | Clunes, Daylesford and Kingston Agricultural Shows • | Economic Development | Local food initiatives for economic development | Victoria | Hepburn | Regional |
| Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy | Waste Avoidance 24 Further investigate the possibility of implementing a food waste avoidance program | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Hepburn | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | • Introduce the Council Green Team at events to stand near bin banks and encourage correct use of waste, recycling and organics bins. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | 1A. Guide the community in reducing food waste | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | 2F. Deliver a community waste awareness and education program | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | An extensive Community Waste Awareness and Education program will support this Initiative. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | Deliver ongoing community waste awareness and education to underpin the new Strategy. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | INITIATIVE 1A. GUIDE THE COMMUNITY IN REDUCING FOOD WASTE Council will actively support programs in our region to deliver programs such as Love Food, Hate Waste, and other programs such as OzHarvest designed to reduce food being thrown away by the community or businesses. Waste streams targeted: Food waste within domestic and commercial waste streams. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | INITIATIVE 2F. DELIVER A COMMUNITY WASTE AWARENESS AND EDUCATION PROGRAM This program will build awareness among domestic and business communities of local waste and recycling issues and initiatives, and encourage maximum source separation of waste streams. It will deliver balanced elements of awareness, encouragement and compliance. The program will focus on the local opportunities, including the many facets of long-term sustainability. It will deliver awareness in a manner which is ‘fun about a serious subject’ and be built on an ‘I’m responsible for producing my own waste’ theme. The beneficial outcomes and consequences of this new Strategy will underpin the Community Waste Awareness and Education Program. The overall message will convey that the new Strategy has been developed to ensure the Bega Valley community is willing and able to tackle the difficult issues and lead the way with longterm, sustainable waste management. A range of media platforms are proposed including print, radio, Facebook and the free Bega Waste APP. The community will be well informed about the reasons and the benefits associated with strategic Initiatives. The program will be developed with recognition of established strategic links with the CRJO and neighbouring LGAs such as Eurobodalla, Snowy Monaro and East Gippsland. Specific actions will identify and encourage the uptake of changed behaviours by all sections of the community, led by self-appointed ‘Waste Warriors’ who are encouraged and supported by Council, businesses and residents. Specific actions will be structured to encourage community feedback with interactive components available to enable Council to continually engage with the community. For example, presenting individual stories and continually updating recycling and waste diversion information to affirm success of the community’s actions. The program will target specific sections of the community, including: Commercial/Business Sector: Council will invite businesses to be involved in long-term waste management through initiatives outlined in the new Strategy. Council will ensure businesses are aware of how the new Strategy impacts on them including: • Waste management services with a clearer and more sustainable user-pays system that favours recycling over landfill. • Changes to Council’s waste disposal fees and charges policy. • Changes to drop-off locations for specific waste types. • Support for source-separated recycling initiatives. • Changes to other policy such as use of public place bins within proximity to businesses outlets. • Planned waste audits and compliance measures. Council will encourage a branded merit system for businesses demonstrating improved recycling behaviours including approved public-facing branding such as as ‘Waste Champions’ OR ‘Waste Warriors’. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | Kerbside Services: Council will develop clear branding of kerbside services as a principal component of encouraging behaviour change. Industry euphemisms and acronyms will be removed from all written and verbal communications to drive greater community awareness of the fate of each kerbside bins’ contents: • The residual waste bin will be branded as the Landfill (Red) Bin. • The co-mingled recycling bin will be branded as the Recyling (Yellow) Bin. • The organics bin will be branded as the Compost (green) Bin. As we introduce FOGO we will also refer to it as the FOGO bin. • Composted organics will also be branded to support identification, ownership and uptake of the product. Value-added initiatives such as bagging and marketing compost through Tulgeen Disability Services for small home and holiday accommodation customers will widen the target market and increase commercial returns. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | Schools: Council will continue its work with local schools to promote the objectives of the new Strategy, focussing on: • Working with the Bournda Environmental Education Centre to deliver in-school waste education in government schools. • Supplying in-kind recycling services to schools linked with delivery of targeted in-school waste education programmes. • Supply and support services for school-based organics management (worm farming/composting of food wastes). | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | To support community education Council will: • Develop a broader, more encompassing event management policy applicable across all of its service areas to standardise requirements for waste management in public places and at events. Policy will include bin requirements and the strict use of re-usable or compostable crockery and cutlery at all events that Council supports. Single use plastics will not be permitted. • Review the strategic location and branding of public place bins. Public bins in areas more frequented by tourists will be increased and will include targeted branding that promotes the shire’s Waste Less, Reuse and Recycle More policy. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | To support community education Council will: • Develop a broader, more encompassing event management policy applicable across all of its service areas to standardise requirements for waste management in public places and at events. Policy will include bin requirements and the strict use of re-usable or compostable crockery and cutlery at all events that Council supports. Single use plastics will not be permitted. • Review the strategic location and branding of public place bins. Public bins in areas more frequented by tourists will be increased and will include targeted branding that promotes the shire’s Waste Less, Reuse and Recycle More policy. • Introduce the Council Green Team at events to stand near bin banks and encourage correct use of waste, recycling and organics bins. • Include Council’s Tourism Sub-committee, Tourist Information and other service units (such as Parks and Gardens) in initiatives and actions to increase recycling and diversion of waste from landfill. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | Schools: Council will continue its work with local schools to promote the objectives of the new Strategy, focussing on: • Working with the Bournda Environmental Education Centre to deliver in-school waste education in government schools. • Supplying in-kind recycling services to schools linked with delivery of targeted in-school waste education programmes. • Supply and support services for school-based organics management (worm farming/composting of food wastes). | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | 1A. Guide the community in reducing food waste | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | 1C. Support reduction in single-use plastics | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | 2A. Introduce a food and garden organics kerbside service | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | 5A. Support the NSW Container Deposit Scheme | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | An extensive Community Waste Awareness and Education program will support this Initiative. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | Capture organics from the waste stream | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | Changing the collection frequency of the new FOGO service to weekly will provide significantly greater kerbside capacity for food and green waste. Reducing collection of landfill (red bin) waste to fortnightly will also encourage improved separation of food organics into the FOGO bin. In delivering this Initiative, Council will also support other changes to kerbside services including: • Providing extra bins for FOGO and/or co-mingled recycling for households requiring additional capacity. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | Commercial food packaging waste including woven plastics has slowly expanding recycling opportunities. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | Council will also consider tailoring components of the kerbside collection service to better suit the community’s needs. For example, Council may consider higher FOGO collection frequencies for businesses and smaller/split waste stream vehicles to service isolated areas. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Bega | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RECOVERY STRATEGY | Deliver a combined Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) service to replace the existing garden organics service | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Bega | Regional |