Local Government Planning for Health and Wellbeing

Since its release in 2001 the Environments for Health Municipal Public Health Planning Framework has become a standard reference for those involved public health planning at a local government level.

The Public Health and Wellbeing Act (2008) strengthens the role of local government through the municipal public health planning process. To assist with this new era of municipal public health planning a set of policy and practical guides has been produced. They are intended to provide local government with up to date information on resources that can assist with the development of municipal public health plans and related developments in public health policy, legislation and practice.  

The full set of publications, their purpose and the audience for whom they are intended is as follows:

Public Health and Wellbeing for Victoria
Victoria’s Health – Prevention is the future (2009)
This document outlines the current policy and program context for public health and wellbeing in Victoria. The primary audience for this document are councillors and senior managers as well as state government policy makers.

Public health and wellbeing for Victoria: Victoria’s health – prevention is the future (152kb, pdf)

Environments for Health Municipal Public Health Planning Framework (2001)
Since 2001 this framework has been used extensively to assist with planning for the impact of the natural, built, social and economic environments on health. The primary audience for this Guide are those directly involved in health services in policy, planning and practitioner roles in local government.

Useful link: VicHealth - Leading the Way: Councils creating healthier communities

Practical Guide to Municipal Public Health Planning (2009)
This document supplements the Environments for Health (2001) publication.
The primary audience for this Guide are those directly involved in health services in policy, planning and practitioner roles in local government.

A practical guide to municipal public health planning (456kb, pdf)

Useful resource: Towards Healthy Environments - Case studies from the Municipal Public Health Planning Good Practice Program

Climate Change and Health (2009)
This document supplements the Practical Guide to Municipal Public Health Planning highlighting contemporary resources to help council planners. While the primary audience for this Guide are those directly involved in health services in policy, planning and practitioner roles in local government, this guide will be useful to other council staff responsible for planning for the impact of climate change.

Climate change and health: A guide to relevant resources for planning (131kb, pdf)

Useful link: Environmental health – Climate change

Urban Design and Health (2009)
This document supplements the Practical Guide to Municipal Public Health Planning highlighting contemporary resources to help council planners. While the primary audience for this Guide are those directly involved in health services in policy, planning and practitioner roles in local government, this guide will also be useful to council staff responsible for land use planning.

Urban design and health: A guide to relevant resources for planning (167kb, pdf)

Useful link: Health Spaces and Places

Raising the bar on evaluation:
Tools for building evaluation into local government health and wellbeing planning
This document is a case study outlining the experience of the Western Metropolitan Local Government Health Planners Network in conducting the ‘Municipal Public Health Plan Evaluation Tools Development Initiative: A local government resource for building evaluation into health and wellbeing planning (Phase 1)’. This resource has been funded and produced by the North and West Metropolitan Region of the Department of Health.

Raising the bar on evaluation: Tools for building evaluation into local government health and wellbeing planning (137kb, pdf)

Useful link: Navigating for health and wellbeing – A resource for integrating health planning in local governments

Other useful resources: Health Promotion – Evidence and resources