Councils from around Tasmania will be focusing on the social conditions affecting the health of their communities at upcoming forums in Bridgewater and Ulverstone.
The Local Government Association of Tasmania is coordinating the forums with funding from Tasmania Medicare Local, to raise awareness of how councils can influence the health of their residents in the way that they plan facilities and deliver services.
Tasmania Medicare Local’s Manager – Social Determinants of Health, Maree Gleeson, said people were still inclined to think about hospitals and the health care system as being the most significant influence on health.
“There is greater recognition now that our health is influenced by a range of factors such as where we live, our education and income and whether or not we have access to basic services such housing and transport,” she said.
“Councils have a critical role to play in this regard as they are the tier of government closest to communities and to peoples’ day to day lives.”
Ms Gleeson said the forums would be an opportunity for council planners and community development officers to see how communities in Tasmania and interstate are responding to the social challenges impacting on their residents’ health and wellbeing.
“Brighton’s Community Blitz project is a great example of how a council is working with local community organisations to improve the environment, public buildings and housing in and around Bridgewater, Gagebrook and Herdsmans Cove,” she said.
“These might not sound like health initiatives, but they can have an enormous influence on the way people connect with their community, on their physical and mental well-being and on whether they use facilities like the local LINC or child care centre.”
The Local Government Association is a partner in Tasmania Medicare Local’s Social Determinants of Health Project, which has provided funding for eight community projects around the state. The Brighton, Derwent Valley, Burnie, Devonport and Waratah-Wynyard councils are partners in these projects.
The Bridgewater forum will be held on Thursday 21 May at the Brighton Civic Centre and will be followed by a forum in Ulverstone on Wednesday 27 May.
The Local Government Association has received funding for the forums from the Cradle Coast Authority and Tasmania Medicare Local as part of the Australian Government’s Tasmanian Health Assistance Package.
Jenny Denholm Communications Manager Medicare Local
