Following the adoption of its Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2021-2025 (MPHWP), Council has placed the draft plan to put its objectives into actions out for public comment.
The Victorian Government’s Public Health & Wellbeing Act 2008 (the Act) requires all councils to develop a MPHWP and corresponding four-year action plan within 12 months of a council election. At its meeting on 28 September, Council endorsed the Draft Golden Plains Shire Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Action Plan 2021-2025 (Draft Action Plan) to go on public exhibition for three weeks.
In June, Council adopted its Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan (MPHWP) as an integrated component of the Council Plan 2021-2025. The MPHWP identified five priority areas: improving mental wellbeing; increasing active living; preventing family violence and advancing gender equity; increasing healthy eating; and tackling climate change and its impact on health. The Draft Action Plan has been developed to progress the implementation of these priorities through 73 actions. These actions respond to the underlying three principles of the Draft Action Plan: place-based and location solutions, sustainable progress, and increasing access.
Golden Plains Shire Council worked with 26 partners from community health organisations, regional networks, preventative health service providers, regional sporting associations, family violence support services and the education and disability sector to develop the Draft Action Plan. The five health and wellbeing priority areas from the MPHWP were informed by extensive public consultation conducted earlier in 2021 alongside the Council Plan.
Mayor Cr Helena Kirby says the Draft Action Plan was a collective effort to turn Council’s health and wellbeing priorities into actions.
“Council incorporated its Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan into the four-year Council Plan to reflect the important role Council has in supporting the health and wellbeing of all people living in Golden Plains. Now we’ve developed the required action plan together with 26 partner organisations and community groups to lay out how Council will make its health and wellbeing priorities a reality.
“From advocacy for more mental health services to providing quality sport and recreation facilities, the Draft Action Plan sets out 73 actions to be delivered over the next four years. It embeds an integrated responsibility across all areas of Council and community, and the delivery of actions will be a collective effort between Council, health organisations and community groups.
“I encourage all locals to give the Draft Action Plan a read and provide feedback over the next three weeks.”
The Draft Action Plan is on public exhibition from 29 September to 19 October and is now available online at goldenplains.vic.gov.au/consultations. Hard copies of the Draft Action Plan are available Council’s Customer Service Centres at 2 Pope Street, Bannockburn and 19 Heales Street, Smythesdale. Community members are able to provide feedback during the public exhibition period by:
- Completing an online form at goldenplains.vic.gov.au/consultations,
- Emailing [email protected], or
- Mail to Golden Plains Shire Council, PO Box 111, Bannockburn, VIC 3331 - marked 'Urgent - submission'
Submissions close at 9am, Tuesday 19 October, 2021. Council will consider all submissions for incorporation into the final Municipal Health and Wellbeing Action Plan, which will be presented to Council for adoption at its 26 October meeting.