Planning law and public health at an impasse in Australia: the need for targeted law reforms to improve local food environments to reduce overweight and obesity.

Australia's high rates of overweight and obesity, and the associated increased population risk of non-communicable diseases, pose a challenge to policymakers across sectors beyond the health portfolio. In the last decade, strategies to promote healthy lifestyles and address non-communicable diseases have increasingly interested urban planners in Australia and internationally. However, Australian planning laws continue to operate largely without regard to public health goals, thus limiting the ability of communities to shape healthy built environments. In recent years, local governments have increasingly taken on responsibility for improving public health through community-based initiatives; however, their efforts are hindered by their limited capacity to influence planning priorities under current State-legislated planning schemes. This article considers the emerging body of research exploring the impact of urban planning on health and non-communicable diseases in Australia. It is contended that planning law in Australia is out of step with the evidence of planning's potential impact on health, and reforms are required to ensure consistency with public health priorities.