The South Australian Public Health Plan - Adelaide City Council

44 Pages·2014·5.18 MB·English

by  Kirsten Fantinel

Adelaide: A Better Place To Live
Public Health Plan 2013-2018
Public Health Plan 2013-2018

Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
The determinants of health and wellbeing………………………………………………… 4
The South Australian Public Health Plan……………………………………………………. 5
Legislative Context………………………………………………………………………… 5
Policy Context………………………………………………………………………………… 5
Strategies for Promoting Health…………………………………………………….. 7
Council’s Placemaking Approach………………………………………………………………. 8
The State of Public Health in the City……………………………………………………… .. 9
City user profiles…………………………………………………………………………….. 9
City residents……………………………………………………….………………………… 11
Community connectedness and resilience indicators…………………… 13
Physical activity, healthy eating and healthy living indicators…………. 15
Climate change and preparedness for emergency events………………. 17
Public and environmental health……………………………………………………. 29
The Adelaide City Council Public Health Plan…………………………………………….. 22
Priority 1: Stronger, Healthier Communities for all Generations……. 22
Priority 2: Increasing Opportunities for Healthy Living, Eating and
Being Active……………………………………………………………………………………. 29
Priority 3: Preparing for Climate Change………………………………………… 35
Priority 4: Sustaining and Improving Public and
Environmental Health…………………………………………………………………….. 39
Audit Tool…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 43
Implementation and Evaluation……………………………………………………………….. 44
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Public Health Plan 2013-2018
Introduction
Adelaide City Council plays a leading role in delivering public health actions which promote
wellbeing and good health. Council works alongside the broader community and partners to
preserve, protect and promote public health.

Council is making great headway into becoming a national leader as a walkable and cycling
friendly Capital City, by building safe infrastructure giving greater priority to pedestrians,
cyclists and public transport. This includes promoting the use of alternative forms of transport
and physical activity. Physical activity is a core element in improving health and wellbeing,
both physical and mental. Providing the conditions to enable improved physical activity among
city users is a strong focus of Council’s Public Health Plan.

Placemaking is the philosophy and approach through which Adelaide City Council will
implement the Public Health Plan. This means that the actions and projects in this Plan will be
undertaken with a place focus, drawing on the expertise of people in their local place to
provide leadership, community ownership and a customer driven project planning and
implementation. People’s connection to place can improve feelings of wellbeing and happiness,
through feeling a greater sense of belonging and social connectedness. Council aims to harness
the place attachment of people in the city to help make places and spaces healthier for all.

This Plan is developed with a number of broader social and environmental challenges in mind.
Connecting city users with one another to build better places enables greater community
resilience in the face of future challenges associated with climate change (an increased
potential for natural emergencies and health stressors) as well as the other challenges of
population growth, traffic congestion, economic development, social inclusion and an ageing
population. Working in partnership with the community is integral to Council achieving its
goals.

Traditionally, Council has focused on the protection of public health through food safety
regulation, public health regulation and initiatives to minimise the prevalence and spread of air,
water and blood-borne disease. The new Public Health Act recognises the broader social
determinants of health, with the promotion of healthier communities and wellbeing as a focus.
The new South Australian Public Health Act 2011 (the Act) recognises Local Councils as the local
public health authority for their area. The Act recognises Council’s connection with the
community at a local level and capacity to partner with the many other agencies that assist to
meet the many ongoing public health demands of a Capital City environment.

The purpose of the Adelaide City Council Public Health Plan is to provide a summary document
of the planned approaches of Council, to meet the strategies outlined in the State Public Health
Plan; South Australia: A Better Place to Live1. All Council strategies and plans contributing to the
plan Public Health Plan have been developed through community engagement approaches and
endorsed by Council.

By preparing a Public Health Plan to provide to the Minister, Council is fulfilling its legislative
obligation under the South Australian Public Health Act 2011.
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1. South Australia: A Better Place to Live, Promoting and protecting our community’s health and wellbeing 2013. Department for Health and Ageing,
Government of South Australia. August 2013
Public Health Plan 2013-2018
The determinants of health and well being
South Australia is a place where many people experience a good to high level of health and wellbeing, particularly
those in higher socio-economic circumstances. The residents of the City of Adelaide overall rate relatively high levels
of socio-economic advantage2. There are however a number of city users who experience levels of disadvantage.

Governments understand that promoting healthier communities and environments can assist in the prevention of
chronic diseases such as cancer, obesity, heart disease and mental illness. There is a strong relationship between a
persons’ opportunity to exercise, enjoy the outdoors, have a home, eat well, be socially engaged, have a job or
purpose and feel safe; and their health and happiness.

Figure 1: Factors that determine Public Health3

Local government plays a leadership role in building healthier communities through planning for transport and
movement, roads, parks and recreation, buildings, waste management, food safety, facilitating cultural and social
connections and creating safer public places. Adelaide City Council also influences and works alongside services
and agencies that provide assistance to vulnerable people in our community.
Figure 2: CHESS Principles for Healthy Environments4
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2. SEIFA Index, Profile ID
3. Dalgren, G and Whitehead, M (1991) Policies and Strategies to Promote Social Equity in Health. Stockholm Institute for Futures Studies
4. South Australia: A Better Place to Live, pp 53
Public Health Plan 2013-2018
The South Australian Public Health Plan
Legislative Context

South Australian Public Health Act, 2011
The SA Public Health Act’s objectives are to ‘promote and provide for the protection of the
health of the public of South Australia and to reduce the incidence of illness, injury and
disability’. It defines the role and functions of those administering the legislation including
the strategic functions of Local Councils.

The Act requires Councils to prepare a Public Health Plan in either a single local government
area or as a region. The Act also provides for Public Health Partner Authorities which assist
councils to achieve public health objectives. The State Government facilitates these
partnerships.

The Act requires Public Health Plans to:

 Provide a comprehensive assessment of the state of public health in the region
 Identify existing and potential public health risks
 Develop strategies to address, eliminate or reduce those risks; and opportunities to
promote public health in the region
 Address any public health issues, strategies and policies specified by the Minister.

Local Government Act, 1999
Section 122 of the Local Government Act 1999 requires Councils to prepare a Strategic
Management Plan which addresses the economic, social, physical and environmental
development of the area.
The SA Public Health Act 2011 makes provision for Public Health Plans to be developed and
adopted in conjunction with Strategic Management Plans or incorporated into Strategic
Management Plans.

Policy Context
South Australia: a Better Place to Live
The vision for the State Public Health Plan is:

 Improving the wider determinants of health and wellbeing and reducing health
inequalities
 Healthier choices made easier
 Enhancing health protection and recovery strategies

The aim of the plan is to build coordinated networks which will meet the vision into the
future.
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Public Health Plan 2013-2018
Guiding Principles
The South Australian Public Health Act provides for the State Public Health Plan to identify principles and policies
for achieving its objects and implementing the Principles below:

Adelaide City Council, in the development and delivery of its Public Health Plan, will seek to apply these principles
where relevant. The State Public Health Plan further underscores these principles by further identifying partner-
ships and collaboration and emphasising prevention.

Partnership principle
Adelaide City Council has identified its current public health partnerships in this Plan. During the life of this Plan
Council will work with SA Health to develop strong links with Public Health Partner Authorities (PHPA’s), as these
are developed and identified by SA Health. These PHPA’s may include some of the organisations that Council al-
ready partners with and are included in this Plan. New partnerships may also be identified. These PHPA’s will assist
Council by taking responsibility for relevant actions within public health plans.

Prevention principle
Council’s Public Health Plan has a clear emphasis on prevention. An example is the strong focus on physical activity
as a preventative measure against heart disease and obesity. Another example is the focus on preventing alcohol
related harm through a range of liquor licensing measures and community partnerships that minimise the harm to
young people from risky drinking in late night entertainment precincts.

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Strategies for Promoting Health
The State Public Health Plan establishes four priorities for action:

Priority 1: Stronger and Healthier Communities and Neighbourhoods for all Generations
 Local Councils are encouraged to consider the CHESS Principles for healthy environments and in
particular building community connectedness , diversity and inclusion

Priority 2: Increasing Opportunities for Healthy Living, Healthy Eating and Being Active
 Local Councils are encouraged to strongly consider boosting opportunities for physical activity
and access to healthy food
 Coordinating local alcohol management strategies and community safety to do with excessive
alcohol use and tobacco use

Priority 3: Preparing for Climate Change
 Local Councils are to ensure public health planning is involved in strategies for climate change
and emergency management preparedness
 Resilience and infrastructure to help local environments cope with changing climates and
extreme events

Priority 4: Sustaining and Improving Public and Environmental Health Protection
 Encouraged to refine and develop environmental health performance standards to support best
practice across the State
 Refine public health policies and regulations to take account of contemporary issues or changes
in technology

This Plan consolidates the current Council strategies that align to the four State-wide public health
strategic priorities, and highlights specific actions that Council will achieve to contribute to these.

Other relevant State Strategies and Policies
State Government Strategic Priorities and Action Plans, (http://www.priorities.sa.gov.au/), in particular:
 Vibrant City
 Safe Communities Healthy Neighbourhoods
 Every Chance for Every Child
 The 30 Year Plan for Greater Adelaide
 Climate Change Adaptation Framework for South Australia
 Eat Well Be Active Strategy 2011-2016
 The People and Parks Strategy
 South Australian Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy 2011-2016
 South Australian Tobacco Control Strategy 2011-2016
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P ublic Health Plan 2013-2018
Council’s Placemaking Approach
Placemaking is an emerging methodology at Council which will influence the implementation
of all Council actions and projects identified in this Plan. Placemaking originated in the 1960’s,
and puts the users of a place at the centre of planning and change for that place. It
acknowledges that those who use a place are often in the best position to lead change and
improvement in that place, including input on planning, budget allocation and services.
Placemaking supports collaboration between Council Programs and with the broader
community to work together to implement actions and projects that create liveable, vibrant
destinations and places around the city, that contribute to community health and wellbeing.

Council’s Placemaking Strategy (2013-2015) provides a platform for new ways to work with the
people of Adelaide. This approach will be linked to the Adelaide 2030 Plan, once developed.
The three key outcomes of the Placemaking Strategy are:

Empowered communities and strong partnerships through improved place governance

Unique districts and places that attract people and create place attachment to the City
through placemaking

Best practice organisation through better governance

The level of activity, reflected in part by population growth and density, is critical in creating a
sense of place and attachment to that place. Placemaking aims to build local community
governance, enabling local people to help shape the work of Council and to take greater
initiative in delivering outcomes sought by the community.

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Source: Adelaide City Council Placemaking Strategy
Public Health Plan 2013-2018
The State of Public Health in the City

City User Profiles

City visitors are more likely to be female
and almost half are aged 15-44 years.

Travelling in by car (40%) is as popular as

public transport (40%). 21% of city users
also walk or ride a bike in, in conjunction
with public transport or car travel.

In 2012 60% of city students were aged
under 25, compared to 73% in 2007. The
proportion of students aged 25-34 has

increased significantly over time with a

large number of students indicating they
are in white collar, professional or senior
management roles.

Almost half of our city workers are aged
15-34 and the age is declining. Most of

our city workers are white collar. Most

city workers are avid city users with well

over three quarters visiting the city for
non-work purposes most days of the
week (96% visit for work at least

weekly).

Note: The above counts are per year for 2011

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Source: Adelaide City Council City User Profiles – Fact Sheets 2012
Public Health Plan 2013-2018
The estimated residential population of the City of Adelaide in 2011 was 19,639,
and had grown to 21,618 in 2012. The Estimated Residential forecast for 2018 is
25,170 and 40,000 by 2031. Our City’s households are mostly comprised of non-
families, without children – only 10% of households have dependant children.
Lone households, share houses and older couples living without children
dominate.
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Source: Adelaide City Council City User Profiles – Fact Sheets 2012