RE-FRESH: Next Generation was pleased to support the first-ever ‘Local Governments Creating Healthy Food Environments Symposium’ last week.
More than 200 participants from across Australia attended this hybrid event (held online and in-person at Deakin Downtown in Melbourne, picture above), which provided a platform for local government professionals, researchers, and policymakers to collaborate on strategies for fostering healthier food environments.
Experts from Deakin University, the University of Sydney, Edith Cowan University, and the University of Melbourne presented on key topics, including food policy reform, community-driven initiatives, and tools for assessing food environments. Local government professionals shared real-world experiences in creating partnerships, engaging communities, and leveraging policy opportunities to support healthier food systems.
A key part of the symposium was hearing local government staff working directly with communities, including Laura Duff (LaTrobe Community Health Service), Gemma Simpson (Central Goldfields Shire), Kirsten Beckingham (City of Armadale), and Kristine Løkås Vigsnes (Kristiansand Municipality, Norway), who provided insights into local initiatives and challenges.
The event concluded with a presentation from Sharon Laurence, Food Systems Manager at VicHealth, who emphasised the importance of working with — not for — communities. She highlighted the need to define key priorities and drive collective action through collaboration with local leaders, reinforcing a central theme of the symposium: empowering communities to shape healthier food environments.
The symposium was hosted by the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE) at Deakin University, with support from RE-FRESH: Next Generation and a Deakin University Institute for Health Transformation Partnership Grant.
Symposium introduces the new Local Governments Creating Healthy Food Environments Interest Group
The symposium also provided an opportunity to introduce the new Local Governments Creating Healthy Food Environments Interest Group, co-chaired by Dr Cindy Needham and Dr Neha Lalchandani, both researchers from Deakin University and a RE-FRESH: Next Generation members.
The group has evolved following the cessation of the Nourish Network and its Local Government Interest Group, ensuring an ongoing forum for collaboration and learning.
The Nourish Network was a Deakin University Institute for Health Transformation initiative established in 2019; a multi-sector collective working collaboratively to transform food retail practices for the better health of people and planet. The NN’s Local Interest Group included local government policy researchers and professionals working to improve the healthiness and sustainability of the food environments in Australian local government areas and settings.
‘“As the co-chair of the former Nourish Network Local Government Interest Group, I am pleased to let you know that although the Nourish Network ceases to operate, myself and Dr Neha Lalchandani will continue to chair the group under the new name ‘Local Governments Creating Healthy Food Environment Interest Group.” ’Dr Cindy Needham
The newly named group is being hosted by the Deakin University’s Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE) within the Institute for Health Transformation and will meet three times a year, with an annual symposium included in its schedule. The next meeting is set for 29 July 2025 (online), with the 2026 symposium scheduled for 16 March 2026.
Further information
Contact Dr Cindy Needham at cindy.needham@deakin.edu.au
Visit the Local Governments Creating Healthy Food Environments Interest Group website to:
- Find out more about the group
- Explore presentations and resources shared by experts during the 2025 symposium
