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Loddon Mallee PHU Council and Community Capacity Building (2024)
This project covered a series of food system policymaking workshops for four local governments and community stakeholders within the LMPHU catchment. The focus was on increasing understanding of food systems, mapping relevance to Council’s remit and how LGAs can progress food systems transformation in the context of the cost-of-living crisis and climate change. The project…
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Cardinia Community Food Strategy and Action Plan (2018–26)
From 2016 – 2022, Sustain collaborated with Cardinia Shire Council to develop and implement the Cardinia Community Food Strategy. This participatory process drew on the strengths of and built capacity of the community. The project’s achievement highlights include recognition of Cardinia Food Circles with VicHealth’s ‘Promoting Healthy Eating Award’ in 2019 for outstanding efforts to…
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Capacity Building and Action Planning with Wangaratta Sustainable Food Alliance
Sustain teamed up with the Sustainable Food Alliance and the Rural City of Wangaratta, in Wangaratta, to strengthen local food system leadership and action. Our collaboration included a series of tailored capacity-building workshops and hands-on facilitation:
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Mapping Local Food Environments with Northeastern Public Health Unit (NEPHU)
Sustain partnered with the Northeastern Public Health Unit (NEPHU) to map local food environments across ten councils in Melbourne’s north and north-east. The project identified inequities in access to healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate food and provided councils with detailed data and interactive mapping tools to inform planning and policy. Building on NEPHU’s Local Food…
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Feeding Australia: Shaping the National Food Security Strategy
What We Did In August 2025, Sustain and partners released Solutions to Food Security in Australia: What’s on the Table? — a comprehensive analysis of 187 submissions made to the 2023 Federal Inquiry into Food Security. The report identified key policy gaps, highlighted areas of stakeholder consensus, and proposed a clear roadmap for a fair,…
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Community Gardens in New Estates – City of Casey
Sustain partnered with the City of Casey and Stockland to co-design a best-practice model and Impact Measurement Framework for community gardens in new residential developments. The project focused on how community gardens can build social connection, improve health and wellbeing, enhance food security, and foster sustainability in rapidly growing urban areas. Drawing on literature, stakeholder…
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Council Capacity Building, City of Wyndham (2022-2023)
This project was about empowering Council staff to see how their disparate departments and work connect to their local food system. We facilitated a cross-departmental food systems community of practice that focused on food system literacy and breaking-down policy siloes. This team then collaborated with community leaders on a series of participatory workshops, crafting a…
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Food Systems Roadmap — Central Goldfields Shire Council
Sustain partnered with the Council to develop the Central Goldfields Food Systems Roadmap, funded by VicHealth. The roadmap drew on consultations with over 230 community members and stakeholders (via interviews, “Kitchen Table Talks”, listening posts and written feedback) to map the local food system, identify access challenges, and surface ideas for change. The document outlines…
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Food for Thought Research, Give Where You Live Foundation
This report assessed the state of food security in the Geelong (G21) region. Through a mix of surveys, focus groups and interviews with food relief providers, we explored the increasing demand and challenges facing communities and delivered actionable evidence-based recommendations for Give Where You Live to work with partners to address food insecurity in the…
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Community Capacity Building, City of Ballarat (2023)
The driving force behind the City of Ballarat’s three year local food systems action plan is the Ballarat local food coalition. We supported the formation of this committed group of 15 organisations – reaching across council, community groups and several First Nations communities and local producers. Supported by Council, the coalition will be the driving…
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Urban Food Strategy Development, City of Banyule (2022-23)
In August 2022, Sustain began its work with staff at Banyule City Council to develop the council’s first Urban Food Strategy. Through robust community engagement, we connected with over 600 local residents, staff and stakeholders. We also established a Working Group with representation from council staff and community leaders to guide the Strategy’s development and…
