FAQs
Why should my local government area sign up to use the Local Food Environments Guide?
The Guide supports local governments in developing practical actions to achieve strategic community priorities relating to public health, community engagement, activated spaces, local business development, and sustainable environments.
For example, the Public Health Act 2016 requires the local governments to develop local public health plans that address priority public health issues such as obesity and chronic diseases, by 2023. Completing the Guide will help local governments identify current and new priorities and strategies that support healthier local food environments. Healthier food environments are critical in preventing unhealthy weight and chronic health conditions. Work on the Guide therefore helps with local public health planning.
Is the Local Food Environments Guide all about preventing unhealthy weight?
No, it encompasses more than weight control. It encourages local governments to look at all aspects of healthy food environments including: preventing their community members from developing unhealthy weights and chronic disease; reducing the risk of food insecurity; reducing food waste; encouraging active travel and physical activity; providing easy access to affordable, sustainable and nutritious foods; and supporting local food industries.
Why should my local government get involved in the Local Food Environments Guide?
The Local Food Environments Guide is a website and resource designed for Western Australian local governments to help them to assess and create safe, secure and healthy local food environments. It is adapted from the successful Victorian Healthy Food Connect, a paper-based resource published in 2014.
How can I sign up to the Local Food Environments Guide?
The Local Food Environments Guide is only available to four local governments in Western Australia at present. These four local governments are testing or piloting the program. This enables us to create a practical and user-friendly resource that works best for all local government workers. Roll-out to the rest of the local governments in Western Australia will depend on ECU securing further funding.
My local government is participating in the pilot study for the Local Food Environments Guide. How do I get involved?
If your local government is one of the pilot sites for the Local Food Environments Guide, someone within your local government has been nominated as the 'Administrator' and can sign you up. If you need help to identify that person, please email the team at localfoodenvironments@ecu.edu.au
I have registered as a user for the Local Food Environments Guide but am having trouble logging in. What do I do?
Please contact the team at localfoodenvironments@ecu.edu.au
How long will it take to complete the modules within the Local Food Environments Guide?
This will depend on the number of staff working on the Guide, and the amount of time they can devote to it. There is no defined length of time for completing the Local Food Environments Guide. We do suggest that Module 1 (Local Community Food Profile) be completed in 1-3 months, with a similar time frame for drafting your Local Food Action Plan (Module 2) and finalising your action plans (Module 3). The Guide can be repeated at any time you require to review and update your action plans, for example, after one or two years.
When will the Local Food Environments Guide be available for wider use?
The pilot study will be completed in September 2021. The project team will assess the feedback from the local governments who participated in the study, and make any changes or improvements recommended. Roll-out to the rest of the local governments in Western Australia will depend on ECU securing further funding.
What will the Local Food Environments Guide team do with the information it collects from this pilot study?
The project team will collect feedback from pilot study participants via interviews and focus groups, and by collecting website statistics. Participants are encouraged to give feedback on a variety of questions such as: the usefulness of the resource; any barriers or enablers they experienced in using the resource; how the website and resources could be improved. All names will be removed so no one can be identified.