Regional councils such as ours play a vital role in promoting community health and wellbeing. We do this by creating safe environments, ensuring access to essential services and fostering inclusive communities where everyone can participate in education, economic activities and community life.
In addition to the four-year Council Plan - which clearly outlines our priorities for the shire and how we envisage achieving them - we also prepare a four-year Municipal Health and Wellbeing Plan (MPHWP). This is a requirement under the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.
This material sets the direction for council policies, partnerships and actions, focusing on collaboration, place-based approaches and health equity.
Law requires the MPHWP must:
- Examine data about local health status and health determinants.
- Identify strategies based on evidence for creating maximum health and wellbeing.
- Involve the local community in the development and evaluation of the plan.
- Specify how the council will work with the Department of Health and other health agencies.
- Support the overarching direction of the Council Plan.
In addition, the MPHWP must also consider the key priorities contained in the 2023-2027 Victorian Health and Wellbeing Plan, which includes priority areas that address significant contributors to health inequities and emerging public health challenges. This includes areas such as:
- Improving sexual and reproductive health.
- Reducing harm from alcohol and drug use.
- Tackling climate change and its impacts on health.
- Preventing all forms of violence.
- Decreasing antimicrobial resistance across human and animal health.
- Reducing injury.
- Increasing active living.
- Increasing healthy eating.
- Improving wellbeing.
- Reducing harm from tobacco and e-cigarette use.
These plans acknowledge that health extends beyond the absence of illness. It defines health as a complete state of physical, mental and social wellbeing, emphasising its importance as a human right that requires action across sectors.
The following diagram highlights how certain risk factors influence a person's health and wellbeing, remembering that it's often not one single influencing factor, but a range of factors. If the below is challenging to road on mobile devices, you can also download a PDF version here(PDF, 223KB).
In addition, research also highlights several key factors affecting public health in regional communities like ours, which includes areas such as those listed below.