Council weighs options for healthy food access

A Healthy Food Action Plan that outlines steps the Council could take to improve access to healthy food in Christchurch will be presented to Councillors next week.

The Council is keen to promote healthy food choices.

The plan has been put together by Council staff, with input from the Community and Public Health team at the Canterbury District Health Board, and sets out 18 actions the Council, Community Board or community groups could take to help make healthy food choices easier.

Those actions include increasing the number of community gardens and edible plantings on public land, mapping all edible trees on public land, expanding the Edible Garden awards and trialing community fridges and other sharing initiatives.

The plan will be considered by the Council’s Social and Community Development Committee on Wednesday.

Last year the Council resolved to champion a healthy city approach that supported its 2014 Food Resilience Policy.

The Healthy Food Action Plan has been put together in response to that resolution and is aimed at improving the availability of healthy food within Christchurch and to encourage healthy food choices throughout the community, particularly for young and vulnerable people.

Find out more about the Healthy Food Action Plan.

UPDATE: The Social and Community Development Committee has recommended the Council adopt the Healthy Food Action Plan.