City of Frankston Policy Snapshot
Background and Overview
Langwarrin Community Garden (Image via TwoWayMelbourne)
Frankston City Council is located on the eastern shores of Port Phillip Bay and is surrounded by some of Melbourne’s most fertile agricultural lands. The extent of the Councils engagement with urban agriculture is limited to community gardens, for which it has a dedicated page on its website. The webpage provides a definition of community gardens, the range of activities that it concerns, a list of established gardens in the community, and several documents relating to establishing and running a community garden (Frankston City, 2016).
Despite there being a number of detailed documents relating to the environment and outdoor recreational activities, there is little mention of urban agriculture throughout these documents or on the council’s website.
Review of Policies, Plans and Procedures Addressing Urban Agriculture and Related Areas
| Name of Document | Reference to Urban Agriculture and Related Areas |
| Frankston Open Spaces Strategy (3 Volumes) (2002) | This strategy attempts to improve Frankston’s open spaces and better meet the leisure needs of the community (Open Space Strategy 1, 2002). There is no mention of food or urban agriculture anywhere in the document, which may be because of its omission from the seven principle ‘open space functions’ that are identified. The seven principle open space functions include; informal/passive recreation, bushland reserve, bush parkland, sport, link, roadside reserve/landscape area, botanic garden.
(Frankston City, 2002) |
| Recreation Strategy (2009-2014) | The Recreation Strategy recognises a number land and water based sports and recreations that are undertaken by the community. It addresses Council’s role in understanding the communities recreational needs and supporting those needs though facilities, open space management, plans, policies and programs. While there is mention of gardening in reference to the George Pentland Botanical Gardens Landscape Plan 1994, there is no recognition of urban agriculture.
(Frankston City, 2009) |
| Potential Sites for Community Gardens in Frankston City; (Adapted from) Community Garden Sites Location Audit (2011) | This document aims to prepare Council in responding to requests for community gardens through identifying suitable sites in the municipality. It is not a definitive or exhaustive list, but instead the listing is used to guide Council and interested community groups and residents in determining the location of potential new sites for community gardens through meeting certain criteria. There are seven key criteria for sites that include; co-location with services, compatibility with surrounding land use, natural surveillance, nearby public transport, car parking, access to public toilets, & existing community interest.
Also part of the document is an income statement that identifies the costs associated with site establishment, a useful budgeting tool and a way of anticipating any hidden costs that might arise. (Frankston City, 2016) |
| Community Garden Brochure (2014) | The brochure provides general information on community gardens, a few facts about the benefits, makes reference to the Potential Sites for Community Garden’s document, and recognises the role of community gardens in local food systems and the health and ecological benefits.
(Frankston City, 2016) |
Review of Existing or Developing Food Systems and Urban Agriculture Strategies
| Snapshot & Summary | |
| Strategy / Framework / NA | Strategy |
| Does the Strategy or Framework integrate existing policy documents that explicitly address or make reference to urban agriculture and related area? | N/A |
| Does the Strategy or Framework make reference to the Council Plan and appear to be integrated into the achievement of the Plan’s major objectives? | N/A |
| Does the Strategy or Framework make reference to and integrate the objectives of The Municipal Health and Wellbeing Act (2008) into its framework? | N/A |
| Does the Strategy or Framework recognise and address the ecological, economic, environmental, social welfare, cultural, and social benefits of urban agriculture and local food systems? | N/A |
| Does the Strategy or Framework recognise the interconnectedness of urban food systems (from production, processing, distribution, access, consumption, nutrient/waste capturing, and recycling)? | N/A |
| Does the Strategy or Framework have an action or implementation plan, a set of indicators, or feedback mechanisms that will allow it to evaluate its development, achievements, successes, obstacles, barriers and lessons. | N/A |
| Is there an educational component of the Strategy or Framework? | N/A |
| Is the Strategy being overseen by a dedicated Food Policy Liaison Officer? | N/A |
References:
- 2002, ‘Open Spaces Strategy’, City of Frankston, Available From; http://www.frankston.vic.gov.au/Our_Community/Community_Development/Strategies_and_Plans
- 2009, ‘Recreation Strategy (2009-2014), ‘City of Frankston’, Available From; http://www.frankston.vic.gov.au/Our_Community/Community_Development/Strategies_and_Plans
- 2016, ‘Community Gardens’, Frankston City Council, Available From; http://www.frankston.vic.gov.au/Our_Community/Community_Development/Community_Gardens
Henry Crawford, Sustain: The Australian Food Network, 2016.