Community Health and Wellbeing Plan

A Public Health Plan is a strategic document that outlines actions to improve community health and wellbeing. In July 2019, the State Government released WA Department of Health's State Public Health Plan for Western Australia: Objectives and Policy Priorities for 2019 – 2024 (State Public Health Plan). The release of the State Public Health Plan coincides with an amendment (Part 5) to the Public Health Act 2016, to make public health plans mandatory for every local government in WA.

Ideally, actions included in a Public Health Plan align with the State Public Health Plan objectives and policy priorities. The aim of this is for both Local and State Governments to work in unison, more effectively, whilst directing resources that target greater areas of public health need.

Public health planning is about taking a proactive approach to preventative health, with the focus being on achieving long-term public health outcomes through the planning process.

The Town will be supporting and driving ongoing improvements to the health and wellbeing of our local community.

As a local government, we have a responsibility to assist our community in creating healthier lifestyles.

• Prevent chronic disease through empowering and enabling people to live healthy lives
• Provide environmental health protection for the community
• Improve and maintain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing

Each of these objectives have associated strategies and actions that the Town will work to implement to improve community health and wellbeing. A twelve month reporting framework will provide detailed information relating to the actions outlined in this plan and will be submitted to the Towns Executive.

Reporting to the Department of Health, in line with recommendations in the State Public Health Plan, will be carried out as required under Part 5 of the Public Health Act 2016. 

The Town is embarking on its first ever Public Health Plan. 

This Community Health and Wellbeing Plan 2022 is aimed to engage a range of community members and service providers to gather both quality data and feedback about the community’s health and wellbeing priorities and concerns. The input we seek will support the development of the Town’s inaugural Public Health Plan to meet the requirements of Part 5 of the Public Health Act 2016.

Next Steps 

• Community engagement for the Community Health and Wellbeing Plan is currently open, with the Community Health and Wellbeing Survey closing on 16 June 2023. The Town will then review the data to determine priority health areas and prepare actions, and then draft its Community Health and Wellbeing Plan 2022.
• The Town will seek consent from Council to advertise the draft plan which will include results from the consultation.
• Once Council have endorsed the draft plan the Town will enter Implementation phase.