Research Impact
The Australian Food Atlas is a powerful tool for driving meaningful change in local food environments. It is already making an impact through real-world implementation, research contributions and the identification of evidence-informed initiatives for healthier and more sustainable communities. Explore the sections below to learn how the Atlas is being used and what it can help achieve.
Case Study
See how the City of Vincent is using the Atlas to assess its food environment and inform local public health planning.
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Research Publications
Explore how researchers and policymakers are using Atlas data to inform studies, publications and public health strategies.
EXPLORE INSIGHTS
Initiative Examples
Discover practical actions local and state governments can take to improve food environments across key focus areas
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Case Study
City of Vincent, WA
A Practical Application of the WA Food Atlas (now Australian Food Atlas)
The City of Vincent has leveraged the WA Food Atlas as a powerful tool in public health planning and food environment interventions. By utilising the maps and metrics, the City of Vincent has been able to:
- Facilitate meaningful conversations about food access, trends and priority areas with internal and external stakeholders.
- Promote healthy food and retail options to benefit the community.
- Integrate evidence-based data into reports for project planning and advocacy aligned with the Public Health Plan.
- Strengthen and enhance local policies, including the Healthy Food and Drink Policy.
- Inform the review of the Local Planning Strategy.
This approach highlights the Atlas’s capacity to provide up-to-date, evidence-based information, enabling Local Governments to make informed decisions that support healthier, more equitable food environments.
Research Publications
Discover the scholarly impact of the Australian Food Atlas through our extensive collection of research papers.
This section showcases the rigorous academic work conducted by our team, highlighting innovative findings and insights into the geography of food access. Each publication contributes to a deeper understanding of the factors influencing food environments and supports evidence-based policy making. Dive into our research to see how we are advancing knowledge in the field of food access and its implications for public health and urban development.
This study examined all food retail and service outlets, including chains, in an Australian capital city using high-quality local government data. The results can inform evidence-based policies targeting chain outlets to promote healthier diets and improve public health.
This study aimed to quantify fast-food outlet availability near Perth schools and determine whether differences in area-level disadvantage and school type exist.
This study examined how longitudinal changes in the local food environment within new residential developments influenced changes in adult dietary intake.
This study examined the distribution of liquor licences in Perth, Australia and whether discrepancies in the distribution of retail land-uses could account for a socio-economic gradient.
This study examined associations between liquor licences (i.e., general licences, on-premise licences, liquor stores and club licences) and alcohol consumption at 20-years (n=988) and 22-years (n=893) and whether changes in the licences between time-points influenced alcohol consumption (n=665).
The aim of this study was to examine whether proximity to liquor stores at age 14 years was associated with alcohol intake at ages 14, 17 and 20 years.
This study mapped the size and location of liquor stores in Perth, Western Australia and tested associations between liquor store exposure and alcohol consumption (grams ethanol/day) in young adults (n = 990).
This study examined fast food restaurant locations across the state of Victoria relative to area-level disadvantage, urban–regional locality (classified as Major Cities, Inner Regional, or Outer Regional) and around school
This study investigated whether area-level socio-economic disparities exist in fast-food availability across the Perth metropolitan region of Western Australia.
This study aimed to investigate the association between food-outlet availability near Australian secondary schools and frequency of Australian students’ discretionary food purchases.
This study examined the associations of changes in the local food environment, individual behaviours and perceptions with changes in dietary intake, following relocation from an established neighbourhood to a new residential development.
The evolution of local food environments within established neighbourhoods and new developments in Perth, Western Australia
This study used mixed linear models to investigate how the location of food outlets around the home evolved over time with respect to area-level socio-economic status (SES) and urban design within established neighbourhoods and new residential developments.
The aim of this study is to examine the shape of the relationship between liquor licences and alcohol intake to help inform government approaches to managing the alcohol environment.
This study aimed to develop and operationalise a practical definition of the 20-minute neighbourhood and apply this to two Australian state capital cities: Melbourne (Victoria) and Adelaide (South Australia).
This study examined whether associations between neighbourhood type (20MN/non-20MN) and diet, physical activity or self-rated health vary according to individual- or area-level SES.
This study explored if 20-minute neighbourhoods benefit workers with long work-related time demands who may have less time to interact with their local neighbourhood.
This study examines links with the frequency and location of eating out behaviours as well as the frequency of home food delivery.
Initiative Examples
A resource outlining potential intervention initiatives that Australian local and state governments may consider across a range of focus areas.
These interventions aim to support healthier and sustainable local food environments. They can be adapted or explored depending on community needs,
resources and policy priorities. If you have any suggestions or would like to contribute, please contact the project team.
Focus areas
Select a focus area below to view case studies or examples: