Food security

NT Remote Stores Program

The Northern Territory (NT) Government is developing the NT Remote Stores Program (the Program).

The Program is designed to improve the availability and variety of healthy food and drinks in remote areas; and to make sure the NT Government gives the right support to community stores. The Program achieved the required legislative support with the gazettal of the Food Amendment Bill 2023 in October 2023.

Health Protection is implementing the Program, supported by a small operational program and policy development team based in Darwin, Alice Springs and Nhulunbuy.

Authorised officers within the Program will ensure that businesses comply with legislative requirements associated with remote community stores and food security under part 7A of the Food Act 2004.

Next steps

Ninety-two community stores have now been declared by the Chief Health Officer for inclusion in the Program.

As part of the Program, enforceable standards will be declared by the NT Health Minister; and a set of best practice guidelines will be formally declared by the NT Chief Health Officer.

Public consultation on the draft enforceable standards was recently undertaken. The feedback is currently being reviewed and will inform the final version of the standards declared by the NT Health Minister.

The best practice guidelines are under development and consultation will occur over coming months.

Authorised officers have started to visit community stores and assess food security. Community stores will be contacted by the NT Remote Stores Program team to discuss appropriate details before a community visit.

The NT Government recognises the importance of remote community stores and will continue to provide support and information as the Program develops.

More Information

To contact the NT Remote Stores Program team, email NTRemote.Stores@nt.gov.au or call 08 899 97522.

More information is also available in the Food Act 2004.

All NT food businesses must be registered pursuant to the Food Act 2004. For more information, go to the Northern Territory Government website.

National Strategy for Food Security in Remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

The National Strategy for Food Security in Remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities (the Strategy) was developed in partnership with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector and relevant state and territory governments, including the NT Government.

The Strategy aims to improve coordination and collaboration across levels of government and with remote communities. The vision is that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living on Country and in remote communities are healthy and food secure.

Early Australian Government actions that will contribute to achievement of the Strategy’s intended outcomes include:

• Nutrition workforce - establishing an in-store nutrition workforce in over 100 remote stores. This will upskill a local First Nations workforce to support consumers to make healthier choices.
• Remote First Nation community stores subsidies - reducing the costs of around 30 essential products in up to 152 remote stores to help ease cost of living pressures and improve food security in remote communities.

For more information about the Strategy, go to the Australian Government's NIAA website.