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 Strategy | Leverage State and regional programs targeted at safe disposal of asbestos and household and agricultural chemicals, in particular Asbestos Check, Detox Your Home, Drumuster and Chemclear and any successor programs. | Sustainability and Environment | Sustainable local food production | Victoria | Mitchell | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | As part of International Compost Week 2015 Council ran a ‘My Compost Rules’ competition on its facebook page. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Mitchell | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Council currently recycles green waste deposited at its RRCs into mulch, and encourages members of the community to recycle their food waste through home composting. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Mitchell | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Investigate opportunities to divert organics from the kerbside waste stream including consideration of the role of education, home and community composting and potential for introduction of a third bin for green organics collection | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Mitchell | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Investigate the introduction of a kerbside organics collection service. Investigate options for implementing a green organics kerbside collection service. Continue to implement the annual Compost bin/Worm farm subsidy in the absence of a green organics bin. Report completed and presented to Council Annual subsidy provided February 2016 October 2016 Waste Management Coordinator Waste Project Officer | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Mitchell | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Promote on site (home) organics management and provide education information and workshops to support the promotion. Includes composting, worm farming, mulching and poultry care. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Mitchell | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | provision of an annual compost bin and worm farm subsidy | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Mitchell | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Promote on site (home) organics management and provide education information and workshops to support the promotion. Includes composting, worm farming, mulching and poultry care. | Sustainability and Environment | Animal husbandry | Victoria | Mitchell | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | As part of International Compost Week 2015 Council ran a ‘My Compost Rules’ competition on its facebook page. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Mitchell | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Council currently recycles green waste deposited at its RRCs into mulch, and encourages members of the community to recycle their food waste through home composting. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Mitchell | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Investigate opportunities to divert organics from the kerbside waste stream including consideration of the role of education, home and community composting and potential for introduction of a third bin for green organics collection | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Mitchell | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Investigate the introduction of a kerbside organics collection service. Investigate options for implementing a green organics kerbside collection service. Continue to implement the annual Compost bin/Worm farm subsidy in the absence of a green organics bin. Recycling education program implemented and 50% diversion target achieved 50 % diversion target achieved Report completed and presented to Council Annual subsidy provided Immediate Short term Short term Immediate Ongoing | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Mitchell | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Investigate the introduction of a kerbside organics collection service. Investigate options for implementing a green organics kerbside collection service. Continue to implement the annual Compost bin/Worm farm subsidy in the absence of a green organics bin. Report completed and presented to Council Annual subsidy provided February 2016 October 2016 Waste Management Coordinator Waste Project Officer | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Mitchell | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Promote on site (home) organics management and provide education information and workshops to support the promotion. Includes composting, worm farming, mulching and poultry care. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Mitchell | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | provision of an annual compost bin and worm farm subsidy | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Mitchell | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Develop a community engagement plan that includes: ! Reduction of use of soft plastics and non-recyclable materials ! Information and incentives on composting | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Central Goldfiedls | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Develop a community engagement plan that includes: ! Reduction of use of soft plastics and non-recyclable materials ! Information and incentives on composting | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Central Goldfiedls | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | 1,657 tonnes, or 42%, of waste was diverted from landfill through recycling (1,278 tonnes) and Food organics and Garden organics (FoGo; 379 tonnes) collections. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Central Goldfiedls | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Council will: Monitor and report on waste collection streams. Collect and provide waste data to national, state and regional agencies. Investigate whether changes are required for: ! Collection areas ! Bin sizes ! Collection frequency (particularly for FoGo) | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Central Goldfiedls | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Develop a community engagement plan that includes: ! Reduction of use of soft plastics and non-recyclable materials ! Information and incentives on composting | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Central Goldfiedls | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Food organics and Garden organics (FoGos) The Council provides a voluntary urban bi-monthly kerbside service for garden green waste and household organics. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Central Goldfiedls | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Implement waste reduction strategies throughout Council operations (e.g. recycling and FoGo increased in Council offices and depots, compost from transfer stations used in Council garden maintenance, increased public place recycling bins). | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Central Goldfiedls | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Proactively advocate and demonstrate support for legislation, policies, processes and practices that encourage increased waste reduction via the waste hierarchy and the circular economy (e.g. product stewardship, container deposit legislation). | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Central Goldfiedls | Regional |
| Waste Management Strategy | Urban communities are largely happy with current services, including the recently introduced FoGo service, while rural and industry respondents would like either improvements or optional services. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Central Goldfiedls | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY | Consider a trial of Aerobin style composting bins to gather data on merits of use of these bins together with a bundled green waste collection compared to a three bin system (High priority); | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Bass Coast | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY | consideration is required for either the development of a regional facility or to key into an existing facility that requires further throughput, such as a water authority or waste to energy facility. It is understood that the management of organics, food organics and green organics (FOGO), is a Gippsland Waste and Resource Recovery Group priority. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Bass Coast | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY | Encourage home composting, pending the provision of kerbside collection feasibility or organics. Council to consider subsidising such bins to the community for onsite use to assist with diversion of organics from landfill. Council to proactively assist residents to be more self-sufficient in this regard. It is suggested that the provision of organic bins would require the concurrent provision of bundled periodical collection service and resident education. This may include bin delivery and onsite training, ability for the resident to contact Council if they have any questions and active follow up. (High priority); | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Bass Coast | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY | Feasibility assessment of the diversion of kitchen organics, from the waste to landfill stream via kerbside collections, including a full cost benefit analysis. (i.e. 3 bin system Shire wide) – refer to 3 bin collection service detailed above (Hold); | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Bass Coast | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY | Green/organic waste service – Organic waste is considered a high priority by the region and would be supportive of a processing facility in the region. The region undertook a study of waste generation by residents with a variable number of bins, i.e. inclusion or not of green waste bin, to identify the impact of waste tonnages disposed to landfill. The study concluded the waste disposed via garbage bins was the same regardless of the introduction of a green waste service. Therefore, if a green waste service was to be introduced it should also include the collection of organic waste (i.e. food waste) to reduce waste disposed to landfill resulting in simpler landfill management. Once the facility is established, there is a need to amend garbage collection to fortnightly to provide an incentive to use the organics bin which should then be collected weekly. Only implement green waste collection if have organics included so only change resident behaviour once. Recognised that there were potential issues with end market for any products of a organics waste facility | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Bass Coast | Regional |
| WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY | The following key environmental health requirements are applicable to the Bass Coast Shire: • Australia’s Food Standards Code (FSC) Standard 3.2.3 – Food Premises and Equipment places requirements on food businesses regarding the storage of garbage and recyclable matter (see Clause 6); • FSC Standard 3.2.2 – Food Safety Practices and General Requirements (Clause 19) requires food premises to be maintained to a standard of cleanliness where there is no accumulation of garbage or recycled matter, except in containers. | Food Quality and Safety | Education on/enforce food safety regulations | Victoria | Bass Coast | Regional |