About the
Australian Food Atlas
A comprehensive resource for understanding food access in Australian communities
Data sources
The Australian Food Atlas is underpinned by annually collected food business registration data from participating State and Local Government Authorities. This official data captures every registered business that stores, prepares, handles, serves, or sells food, providing a robust evidence base for understanding food access across Australia.
The Australian Food Atlas delivers a comprehensive listing of food retail and service outlets within each Local Government Area, categorised into 59 distinct food outlet types. Unlike other tools that depend on web-scraped information (which can be incomplete and inaccurate) the Australian Food Atlas draws exclusively on official registration records. This ensures that all registered food businesses are included, not just supermarkets or fast-food chains, and that each food outlet is classified using an evidence-based nutrition framework. The result is the most authoritative, comprehensive and fit-for-purpose dataset on food environments in Australia.
Within the 59 outlet types, food retail and food service outlets make up the largest categories. Together, they provide a detailed view of the businesses most shaping community food environments.
FOOD RETAIL
These include supermarkets/grocery stores, greengrocers, convenience stores, specialist food retail, liquor merchants/bottle shops, general retail (non-food), markets and more…
FOOD SERVICE
These include cafés, bakeries, restaurants by cuisine type, fast-food/takeaway by food type, alcohol venues with food service, event market venues and more…
The Australian Food Atlas
The Australian Food Atlas offers a suite of interactive dashboards that display food business information and present key insights into local food environments, including:
All Food Businesses
Fast Food Outlets
Fruit & Vegetable Vendors
Alcohol Vendors
Charitable Food Service
Food Service Businesses
Retail Food Businesses
Chain Food Businesses
Drive-
through Food
Businesses
Custom Dashboards
Each dashboard displays:
Layered maps
Explore the food environment with data layers like socioeconomic status, school locations and household proximity within 800m of a food outlet.
Summary metrics
Access comprehensive statistics at the Local Government level, including total counts, bar charts, density per 10,000 population, average household distance to outlets and percentage of households within 800m.
Interactive graphs
Visualise trends and comparisons across Local Government Areas, highlighting individual and regional differences in food access.
Future updates will introduce additional dashboards.
Recommended Citation
The Australian Food Atlas. Food Environments Team, Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Perth Western Australia.
User Opportunities
The Australian Food Atlas empowers users to inform policy, guide interventions and foster collaboration for a healthier food environment.
Explore Food
Environment Insights
Use interactive maps for detailed insights, including socio-economic factors and proximity to schools.
Access In-Depth
Indicators
Delve into detailed layers of data on food access challenges and opportunities.
Drill Down
Zoom into specific locations for a focused view on food access issues and related conditions in each area.
Utilise Data for
Strategic Impact
Access data summaries for research, policy shaping and strategic community planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Are there examples where unhealthy outlets have been restricted using planning legislation?
A. United Kingdom
Several UK councils have implemented planning policies to limit the density and location of hot food takeaways as a way to promote healthier food environments and reduce obesity, particularly among children.
- For example, Coventry City Council uses the Food Environment Assessment Tool (FEAT tool: https://www.feat-tool.org.uk) to guide planning decisions. According to their Local Plan, if a proposed takeaway is in an area with a higher-than-average density of hot food takeaways (as indicated by FEAT), the application is likely to be refused. FEAT tool: https://www.feat-tool.org.uk. Coventry case study: https://www.cedar.iph.cam.ac.uk/feat/feat-evidence-and-resources/
- At a national level, the UK government updated the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in December 2024, giving councils greater power to reject planning applications for new fast-food outlets located within walking distance of schools. This supports local authorities in creating healthier food environments and tackling obesity through the planning system.
- Definition of “Hot Food Takeaway” in UK planning law: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/healthy-weight-environments-using-the-planning-system/addendum-hot-food-takeaways-use-in-the-new-use-class-order
United States and Canada
Various local governments have enacted zoning regulations to restrict or prohibit drive-through services at fast-food outlets. These initiatives aim to reduce access to unhealthy food options and promote walkable, healthier environments. Example from the Sustainable City Code: https://sustainablecitycode.org/brief/prohibit-or-limit-the-use-of-drive-through-services-2/
Netherlands
The Dutch government is drafting national legislation to curb the proliferation of fast-food chains, particularly near schools. This proposed law would empower municipalities to refuse new fast-food establishments to mitigate the public health impact of unhealthy diets. Dutch Review article: https://dutchreview.com/news/dutch-municipalities-may-have-power-restrict-fast-food-restaurants/
South Australia
In 2024, a private member’s bill was introduced in the South Australian Parliament proposing a ban on new fast-food outlets within 400 metres of schools. This initiative seeks to address concerns about childhood obesity and promote healthier eating habits among students. Greens’ proposal: https://www.robertsimms.org.au/greens_move_to_crack_down_on_fast_food_restaurants_near_schools. InDaily news article: https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/in-depth/2025/03/07/greens-look-to-ban-fast-food-restaurants-near-schools
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