Creating a healthy Port Phillip

The Health and Wellbeing Plan (2007-2011) has been adopted by Council and contains over 90 strategies to enable City of Port Phillip residents to:

• Live longer and healthier lives
• Have a quality of life which ensures their dignity, respect and greater control for decisions which affect their future and wellbeing
• Benefit from increased social connection to others in the community and from this, a greater feeling of safety and support in their local environment

Sometimes it can be difficult to find good quality, affordable food and exercise options in your local area. Here are some guides to what is available:

• Free and Cheap meals in Port Phillip 
• Affordable Exercise Options in Port Phillip
• Free and Cheap Meals in Port Phillip 
• Affordable Exercise Guide in Port Phillip

The plan sets out actions in five key environments for health. These are:

1. Social Environment
2. Built Environment
3. Cultural Environment
4. Economic Environment
5. Natural Environment

The plan adopts a whole-of-council, community-wide approach and relies upon the active contribution of all levels of council, residents and local community organisations.

In addition to detailed health statistical analyses, over 1,100 residents were consulted using surveys, focus groups and community-based research. The research highlighted a complex mix of economic, social and environmental issues affecting citizens' health and well-being.

The plan is built upon a social model of health which consistent with the World Health Organisation's Social Determinants of Health and the Ottawa Charter and 1997 Jakarta Declaration on Health Promotion

Many facets of health and wellbeing are measured in the City of Port Phillip. Have a look, you may find something surprising.

• Demographic Change in the City of Port Phillip
• Health and Safety Trends in the City of Port Phillip
• Community Pulse Indicators
• Victorian Health Priorities

The group directing the implementation of the Health and Community Safety Plan is known as the Healthy and Safe Cities Alliance. The alliance includes representatives of local health and welfare organisations, police and emergency services and business and citizen's representatives, the council and Victoria University. Alliance members have an active involvement in many facets of the implementation of the plan. Members include:

Organisation	Member(s)
Inner South Community Health www.ischs.org.au	Lucy Benbow, Linda Williamson
Department of Human Services www.dhs.vic.gov.au	Andrea Hay
Victoria Police - St Kilda www.police.vic.gov.au	Inspector Stephen Dennis
Salvation Army Crisis Centre www.salvationarmy.org.au	Sue White, Jenny Plant
Vic Roads www.vicroads.vic.gov.au	Kerry McConnell
Department Education Employment & Training www.education.vic.gov.au/	Denise Ramus
MetroAccess	Alexius Pepper
Community Representatives	Marilyn Nagesh, Yosef Small
City of Port Phillip	Councillor Judith Klepner, Peter Streker, Chris Ellard, Robyn Szechtman,Valerie Kay

 Values behind the work of the alliance

• Respects and values the diversity of community life in the City of Port Phillip.
• Adopts a broad conceptualisation of health and safety that includes a focus on redressing disadvantage and improving social justice and equity.
• Is committed to working together as a group to improve the safety, health and well being of all our community members. There is an understanding that a collective response improves the group's capacity to deal with issues as together they increase their range of perspectives and our pool of skills and resources.
• Recognises that a critical aspect of the work is to keep relationships strong by valuing and practising trust, openness, warmth, friendliness and caring.

• Drugs & Alcohol
• Community Pulse
• HEAT
• Pedestrian and Road Safety - WalkSafe
• margins, memories and markers
• Port Phillip Licensees Accord
• StreetLife
• Municipal Food Security Part V

The Health and Community Development team at CoPP use a wide variety of evaluation techniques to measure the success of their projects. For a snapshot of project evaluations, click here. 

Previous projects undertaken within the Health and Community Safety Plan have included:

• The health and well being benefits of Animal Companionship
• Community Gardens
• Pedestrian and Walk Safety - WalkSafe

For more information about Creating a Healthy and Safer Port Phillip, download the  Creating a Healthy & Safer Port Phillip plan.

A Toolbook of Participatory Techniques

This Toolbook of Participatory Techniques resulted from a review of community participation within the City of Port Phillip and a review of current national and international literature on the subject. It documents a wide range of techniques that have proven to be useful in involving diverse communities in the decision-making processes of local government.

View a copy of the Improving Community Participation at COPP - A Toolbook of Participatory Techniques, written in October 2001.  The Toolbook is also available on CD for a fee of $30.00 plus GST.

For more information about the Toolbook or to ask us a question, request information or give us feedback online use eServices. If you prefer phone ASSIST on (03) 9209 6777 or TTy (03) 9209 6713 and ask for a member of the health and community development team.