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National Health Priorities
The 2010 report of the National Preventative Health Taskforce
targets obesity, tobacco and the excessive consumption of
alcohol as the key ‘modifiable’ risk factors driving around
30 per cent of the burden of disease in Australia.The report
recommends that strategies be in place by 2020, to:-
• halt and reverse the rise in overweight and obesity
• reduce the prevalence of daily smoking from 16.6 per cent
to 10 per cent or less
• reduce the proportion of Australians who drink at levels
which place them at short term harm from 20 per cent
to 14 per cent, and the proportion at longer term harm
from 10 per cent to 7 per cent; and
• contribute to the ‘Close the Gap’ targets for
Indigenous Australians.
Recent Federal funding changes
In November 2013, the new Federal Government announced
significant reductions in, or removal of, funding to local
community groups and their on-ground activities.This loss
of funding has affected the activities of a large number of
community groups which play a critical role in supporting
community wellbeing in the Council area. Council will liaise with
the relevant Government agencies to assess the nature and
extent of the impacts of the funding withdrawal, and potentially
develop an approach that allows the continuation of valued
or priority activities undertaken by these groups – while also
advocating for a re-instatement of adequate funding levels to
these vital community wellbeing programs.
Council’s Corporate and Strategic
Planning context
The Public Health and CommunityWellbeing Plan will become
part of Council’s Strategic Planning Framework as per Section
122 of the Local Government Act 1999. This approach serves
to ensure that the reporting and consultation requirements
associated with the preparation and ongoing review of the Public
Health Plan are integrated into Council’s core planning and
evaluation framework.
The suite of Plans that currently make up Council’s Strategic
Management framework also include –
• The City Plan 2010-2016 - Council’s outward looking
strategic document that represents community needs ,
opportunities, and expectations
• The Corporate Plan 2011-2016 - the internally focussed
document that establishes how Council will respond to and
implement the goals and objectives of the City Plan
• The Annual Business Plan and Budget - a requirement of
the Local Government (Financial Management and Rating)
Amendment Act 2005.
• The Long Term Financial Plan (10 year)
• Infrastructure and Asset Management Plans
In considering the scope and scale of the Public Health and
CommunityWellbeing Plan within the existing suite of Council
Plans, and to ensure that it complements existing plans and
strategies, a desktop review was undertaken of Council plans and
strategies that contain topics, issues and actions relevant to the
Public Health and CommunityWellbeing Plan’s required focus.
(See Appendix A)
The new Plan is an ‘umbrella’ strategy under which a range of
existing community, social, and health-focused management plans
can be clustered, so as to consolidate the overall effectiveness
and efficiency of the various plans, and enable greater co-
ordination and interactive support of related programs across
the organisation.
Council’s key community-focused tool which guides Council’s
planning and investments is the City Plan 2010-2016, which
contains a range of strategies and indicators directly relevant
to the preparation of the Public Health and Community
Wellbeing Plan.
Improving the wider
determinants of
health and wellbeing
Local Government
(combining public
health role with
responsibilities under
the Local Government
Act 1999 and related
legislation)
• Maintains and improves the physical and social
infrastructure of communities that protects
and promotes health and wellbeing (e.g.
waste control, open-space parks and gardens,
support for cultural and recreational activities,
footpaths, cycleways, street lighting, local
economic development, community resilience
and support, climate change mitigation
planning, urban planning development and
approval processes)
• Locally administers relevant legislation
(e.g. Development Act 1993, Dog and Cat
Management Act 1995, Food Act 2001)
Healthier choices
are made easier
• Provides specific information to its community
including information from a wide range
of State & Commonwealth Government
programs and services, as well as non-
government organisations
• Acts as a broker and advocate for its
community
• Provides certain support programs and
community participation opportunities, which
build communities
• Hosts other agencies’ outreach programs and
services
• Provides information and referral services
• Provides specific community infrastructure
and support (e.g. parks and gardens,
recreational facilities)
• Locally leads in public health regulation (e.g.
food regulation)
Enhancing health
protection and
recovery strategies
• Provides or supports the provision of
immunisation in their area
• Administers local public health regulation
(e.g. food safety, cooling tower monitoring of
specific businesses, waste control, mosquito
control); assists in the provision of emergency
management and disaster response
Local Government’s specific roles as described in the SA
Public Health Plan 2013 are -