An audit of local government planning tools for their potential use in addressing community food and nutrition issues

Issues addressed: This project aimed to identify how local government planning tools could be used to influence physical and policy environments to support healthy eating behaviours in communities.
Methods: An audit of Queensland's legislative and non-legislative local government planning tools was conducted by a public health nutritionist to assess their potential use in addressing strategies to achieve positive nutrition outcomes. Ten strategies were identified and covered the following themes: improving access to healthy foods and drinks; increasing access to breastfeeding facilities; decreasing fast food outlet density; and unhealthy food advertising. 
Results: The audit found that all of the 10 strategies to achieve positive nutrition outcomes could be considered through three or more of the planning tools.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this audit, local government planning tools provide opportunities to address food and nutrition issues and contribute toward creating physical and policy environments that support healthy eating behaviours.

The place of place : case studies of place in Victorian planning schemes

Built environment and lived experience are inextricably interwoven. The Australian State of Victoria’s planning framework prioritises the physical characteristics of space above their socio-psychological correlates, as reflected in the relatively limited remit of ‘place’ in formal decision-making. The Victorian planning model struggles to accommodate the uniqueness of specific places in the process of development, despite the driving role it plays in expansion. A literature review investigating definitions of place and place identity determined that although place has been defined variously, and at times with some contradiction, there is broad consensus that it can be understood as the interrelation between the physical characteristics of a landscape and the sensory faculties of an individual and an individual’s experience. This interrelationship is in turn determined by social constructs. Depending on an individual’s length of residence in a particular physical location, place influences individual and social psychology through both the formation of place attachment and identity. While place attachment to landscapes has been described using a variety of complex methodologies, translation of this work into architectural and planning practice has been limited within Australia in general and Victoria in particular. The Victorian Shires of Surf Coast and Frankston are considered as examples of current best practice in integrating place into planning. Key issues highlighted in the conclusion include: the difficulties of incorporating qualitative information within the Victorian Planning Scheme; the importance of correctly measuring place attachment, rather than landscape preference; and the complexities, costs and ethical implications of describing place attachment for integration within the planning system.

Policy change to create supportive environments for physical activity and healthy eating : which options are the most realistic for local government?

The objective is to identify and test regulatory options for creating supportive environments for physical activity and healthy eating among local governments in Victoria, Australia. A literature review identified nine potential areas for policy intervention at local government level, including the walking environment and food policy. Discussion documents were drafted which summarized the public health evidence and legal framework for change in each area. Levels of support for particular interventions were identified through semi-structured interviews conducted with key informants from local government. We conducted 11 key informant interviews and found support for policy intervention to create environments supportive of physical activity but little support for policy changes to promote healthy eating. Participants reported lack of relevance and competing priorities as reasons for not supporting particular interventions. Promoting healthy eating environments was not considered a priority for local government above food safety. There is a real opportunity for action to prevent obesity at local government level (e.g. mandate the promotion of healthy eating environments). For local government to have a role in the promotion of healthy food environments, regulatory change and suitable funding are required.