Overview

HealthWest’s goal in this priority area of health and wellbeing is to enable and support communities in Melbourne’s west to have access to and consume nutritionally adequate, culturally acceptable, safe and affordable foods.

A focus of our work, which is directed and undertaken by the HealthWest Food Security Network, is to use a food security and food access approach to supporting our communities to achieve the ‘Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults’ (Australian Government, 2003). HealthWest also acknowledges the links between food security, determinants of health and the socio-economic and biophysical environments within communities.

HealthWest’s working definition of access to nutritious food is based on VicHealth’s definition of food security:

“Healthy eating encompasses the inherent cultural, economic, and social factors of buying and preparing food, and sharing it with others. Food security broadens the traditional concept of hunger and embraces a systematic view of the causes of hunger and poor nutrition within a community, while identifying the changes necessary to prevent their occurrence.

Irregular access to safe, nutritionally adequate, culturally acceptable food from non-emergency sources is known as food insecurity.”

Western Region Food Access Profiles

The HealthWest Food Security Network has now completed a set of factsheets that profile food access across the six local government areas across the western metropolitan region of Melbourne.  The Food Access Profiles map the locations of fruit and vegetable outlets, as well as takeaway outlets, highlighting the areas and populations vulnerable to food insecurity. Additionally, the profiles make recommendations for food security action in each local government area.

Food Access Profile - Brimbank
Food Access Profile - Hobsons Bay
Food Access Profile - Maribyrnong
Food Access Profile - Melton
Food Access Profile - Moonee Valley
Food Access Profile - Wyndham

Further details: download the Western Region Food Access Profiles Project - Summary or contact Agnieszka Kleparska on 9017 5843 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Case studies

As part of the Integrated Health Promotion reporting requirements to the Department of Health, a case study was prepared and submitted which outlined the food security objectives, activities and achievements for the period July 2010 - June 2011.

Food security in the Western Metropolitan Region case study

Appendix 1

Conference Presentations

Showcasing the Food Security Access Profiles for the West

HealthWest, on behalf of the Food Security Network, presented the food access profiles project at the Leading Edge Forum organised by the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) in March 2012. The forum focused on exploring new opportunities for collaboration on waste, sustainability and food security across Victoria.

In addition the Food Access Profiles for the West were showcased on the www.thinkfoodsecurity.org.au website. The website's purpose is to support the work of food security practitioners and other workers who are coming to the issue of building community food resilience more recently.

More info: visit the VLGA website

Food Security presentation to the PHAA Food Futures Conference, November 2011

HealthWest, on behalf of the Food Security Network, presented the food access profiles project at the Food Futures Conference in Hobart.  The conference focused on the future of food production, access and nutrition in Australia and included a stream on food security. The presentation is available to download below.

Food security in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne

Food Security poster presentation to the NWMR Integrated Planning Conference, December 2011

HealthWest, on behalf of the Food Security Network, presented the food access profiles project at the NWMR Integrated Planning Conference organised by the Department of Health North and West Metropolitan Region. A key purpose of the conference was to foster best practice planning for municipal public health and wellbeing. The poster presentation is available to download below.

A collaborative approach to food security in Melbourne's West

Food Insecurity and Burden of Disease

Regular intake of plant foods (including fruit, vegetables, and grains) has been shown to protect against a range of health concerns including coronary heart disease, some forms of cancer, obesity and diabetes.

For HealthWest’s local areas these chronic diseases and illnesses are prominent, indicating the importance of food access and healthy eating. The most prevalent diseases in Melbourne’s western communities are ischemic heart disease, depression, type 2 diabetes, stroke, lung disease, asthma, dementia and overweight and obesity.  

For more detailed information, see the HealthWest Strategic Plan 2009–2012, Appendix 3: Population Health Data.

Local Nutrition

There is no evidence available in relation to the adequate consumption of fruit and vegetables at the Local Government Area level in Melbourne’s west. However, the Community Indicators Victoria survey does provide the proportion of residents in each Local Government Area that have experienced food insecurity – which is defined as where people surveyed have run out of food in the previous 12 months and could not afford to buy more.

Local Government Area	%	Local Government Area	%
Brimbank	4.8	Melton	5.7
Hobsons Bay	7.7	Wyndham	5.3
Maribyrnong	7.1

Objectives and Activities

• Initiate and support advocacy to reduce barriers to access and consumption of nutritionally adequate, culturally acceptable, safe and affordable foods through to June 2012.
• Improve the capacity of agencies to address access to and consumption of nutritionally adequate, culturally acceptable, safe and affordable foods through to June 2012.
• Develop and implement the Food Security Network Strategic Plan.
• Develop a Western Region Community Food Access Profile.
• Facilitate information sharing and collaboration.
• Seek and support funding proposals that increase food security options for communities.
• Represent and support local initiatives and the needs of communities through participation in organisational and government committees – for example, Municipal Public Health Plans (MPHPs), community health project committees and other initiatives.
• Promote joint advocacy activities within and beyond the health sector as identified by the Food Security Network Strategic Plan.
• Represent the needs of communities and partners by participating in relevant policy and program consultations, committees and forums.
• Support participation in workforce development and training opportunities by sharing information.
• Disseminate key learning and outcomes of local initiatives through report circulation, conference presentations and website resources.
• Support agencies to use tools and resources through the Food Security Network, HealthWest website and related pathways.

Outcomes expected include:

• Increased sustainability of local food security initiatives.
• Greater awareness of food security issues by and beyond the health sector through advocacy activities.
• Greater application of evidence to local settings and programs that support food security.
• Increased awareness of food security tools, resources and initiatives among organisations and communities.
• Improved links between food security programs throughout Melbourne’s western region.
• Ongoing and sustainable programs at the local level beyond 2012.