4 / 70
4
Why the Plan ?
Port Adelaide Enfield Council has understood the importance
of evidence-based planning for health and wellbeing since
1992 when the first environmental health-related studies were
developed with the local community. Since then Environmental
Health Management Plans, Social Development Plans, and a
wide range of other planning instruments have been prepared
on a regular basis, to ensure that Council’s and its partners’
resources are prioritised to address emerging issues and
opportunities, and with a particular focus on locations or
communities most in need.
The SA State Government, via the SA Public Health Act 2011,
now requires all Councils (individually or as regional groupings)
to prepare Public Health Plans to support health and wellbeing
outcomes for their communities, via programs developed and
delivered in co-ordination with State agencies and community
organisations.The Public Health and CommunityWellbeing
Plan 2015-2020 (‘the Plan’) has been prepared to provide a
sound basis for ongoing collaboration between the three levels
of government, public and private sector agencies in the region,
and the wider Council community – with the aim of improving
health and wellbeing outcomes across the City.
Regional health and wellbeing priorities –
research outcomes
It is important that sound research and evidence informs the
prioritisation of efforts and investments in the Council area
and across the region. Sections 6 and 7 of the Plan summarises
the key population, health, and environmental attributes of the
Council area, in order to understand the particular elements
that may pose a risk to health and wellbeing - and also to
identify particular groups whose circumstances may put them
at greater risk.
Consultation with the Council community, non-government
service providers, and government agencies, has added valuable
input to the research and the Plan.
An overview of the demography, health profile, and risk issues
in the Council area is available in the Stage 1 Research Report
(Healthy Environs 2013) which is available on Council’s website.
In summary, the research has identified a wide range of
key
issues and priorities, including
• The population of the Council area is increasingly
culturally diverse – an indicator of that diversity being that
approximately 30% of residents do not speak English at
home as their first language.There is a need to ensure
migrants and ‘new arrivals’ in particular are able to access
social and health resources equally - but this
rich diversity
also presents great opportunities to build on the positive
strengths that these vital cultures, perspectives, and
enterprises bring to our society
• The wider population across the area are seeing statistical
improvements in income, employment, and educational
qualifications over time, but this is starkly contrasted with
some
pockets of poverty and disadvantage
– which is
reflected in poor health and developmental outcomes in
those areas, particularly for children. (Note :The principle
of health equity is key to the determination of priorities in
this Plan)
1
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
play a
vital role in the life and culture of the Council area. While
the data is showing a positive improvement across a range
of health-related issues, there remains a need to ensure
the ATSI community have equal access to health resources
and programs - particularly those supporting family and
cultural wellbeing, and employment and training
• Due to the high level of historic and ongoing industrial
and related logistics activities in some parts of the Council
area, there are neighbourhoods where adjacent
land use
activities
present a risk of impacts on health and wellbeing
outcomes, particularly in relation to residents’ proximity to
major transport corridors and heavy industry
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1
The SA Public Health Act 2011 includes a set of key Principles to guide the planning and implementation of health and wellbeing
legislation and activities (See Appendix B).