Council Minutes - 12 February 2008 - City of Greater Geelong

Greater Geelong City Council 12 February 2008
Minutes of Ordinary Meeting
SECTION B - REPORTS Page 5
1. GEELONG STRATEGIC HEALTH PLAN STATUS REPORT (CONT’D)
Key achievement in 2007: Council undertook a forum with BATFORCE involving young
people, parents, industry and schools in light of community concerns about young
people being at risk of Hepatitis C from amateur body piercing operations. Further
educational sessions are planned for 2008.
2. Preparing for population change – With the increasing proportion of older people
in the community a focus of both economic and social policy across Australia, a
considered response is required by governments, industry and the community to help
people to maintain their quality of life as they age.
Key achievement for 2007: To improve understanding at the local level of how the
ageing population will impact on the region, G21 held three Positive Ageing Seminars
with funding provided by the Municipal Association of Victoria. The last of these was
held in April 2007.
Since the Geelong Strategic Health Plan was passed by Council in early 2007, a new
set of population change circumstances have emerged with an 11.8 per cent increase
in birth notifications. The impact of this on current and future services is being closely
monitored and appropriate actions developed.
3. Better access to services – Access to services is an important part of helping the
community to maintain health and wellbeing. This need is not exclusive to health
services but includes education, housing, financial and transport services.
Key achievement in 2007: As part of Council’s ‘Cultural Equitable Gateways’ Project,
Australian Croatian, Croatian and Polish Seniors Groups were all assessed for Centre
Based Meals eligibility in 2007 and over 300 people were added to the program.
4. Community strengthening, social inclusion and mental wellbeing – In order to
be a healthy community, people need to feel part of the place in which they live.
Feelings of social isolation can impact negatively on mental health and wellbeing and
therefore it is vital to encourage community connection through education, support and
community development initiatives.
Key achievement in 2007: The Youth Strategy was officially launched in mid 2007 with
achievements to date including: employment of a youth development officer; the
initiation of the Youth Can Van program; the redevelopment of Clockwork Young
People’s Health Service; and the development of youth activity programs in Leopold,
Lara, the Bellarine Peninsula and Whittington.
5. Physical activity and healthy eating – The creation of supportive environments
which make the healthy choice the easy choice is an important role for Council and its
partner agencies, particularly in the early years.
Key achievements in 2007: The City won a national award from the Heart Foundation
for its Healthy Beginnings Strategy. The strategy is a package of 11 complementary
programs and initiatives to improve the level of children’s physical activity and nutrition
throughout Geelong.
For older residents, the creation of an Active Adult Membership in Swim, Sport and
Leisure Centres has seen membership numbers increase from 57 people in July 2006
to 705 in November 2007.
6. Healthy Transport – Health and transport are inextricably linked. How a person
uses transport can impact on their level of physical activity and for those without
transport it can be a significant cause of social isolation. Council has a significant
opportunity to encourage ‘active transport’ through the development of appropriate
infrastructure.