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SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC HEALTH ACT 2011
- SECTION 5
5 Principles to be recognised under Act
In the administration of this Act and in seeking to further the
objects of this Act, regard should be given to the principles set
out in the following sections (insofar as may be relevant in the
circumstances).
6 Precautionary principle
(1) If there is a perceived material risk to public health, lack
of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for
postponing measures to prevent, control or abate that risk.
(2) In the application of this principle, decision-making and
action should be proportionate to the degree of public health
risk and should be guided by—
(a) a careful evaluation of what steps need to be
taken to avoid, where practicable, serious harm to
public health; and
(b) an assessment of the risk-weighted consequences
of options; and
(c) an aim to ensure minimum disruption to an
individual’s activities, a community’s functioning and
commercial activity consistent with providing any
necessary protection from identified public
health risks.
7 Proportionate regulation principle
Regulatory measures should take into account and, to the
extent that is appropriate, minimise adverse impacts on
business and members of the community while ensuring
consistency with requirements to protect the community and
to promote public health.
8 Sustainability principle
Public health, social, economic and environmental factors
should be considered in decision-making with the objective of
maintaining and improving community well-being and taking
into account the interests of future generations.
9 Principle of prevention
Administrative decisions and actions should be taken after
considering (insofar as is relevant) the means by which public
health risks can be prevented and avoided.
10 Population focus principle
Administrative decisions and actions should focus on the
health of populations and the actions necessary to protect
and improve the health of the community and, in so doing, the
protection and promotion of the health of individuals should
be considered.
11 Participation principle
Individuals and communities should be encouraged to
take responsibility for their own health and, to that end, to
participate in decisions about how to protect and promote
their own health and the health of their communities.
12 Partnership principle
(1) The protection and promotion of public health requires
collaboration and, in many cases, joint action across various
sectors and levels of government and the community.
(2) People acting in the administration of this Act should
seek ways to develop and strengthen partnerships aimed at
achieving identified public health goals consistent with the
objects of this Act.
13 Equity principle
Decisions and actions should not, as far as is reasonably
practicable, unduly or unfairly disadvantage individuals or
communities and, as relevant, consideration should be given to
health disparities between population groups and to strategies
that can minimise or alleviate such disparities.
APPENDIX B