Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008

The Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 received Royal Assent in September 2008 and took effect on 1 January 2010.

The Public Health and Wellbeing Act aims to achieve the highest attainable standard of public health and wellbeing by:

protecting public health and preventing disease, illness, injury, disability or premature death
promoting conditions in which people can be healthy
reducing public health and wellbeing inequalities in Victoria.

It is a key piece of legislation designed to protect the health of Victoria's population, with implications for:

authorised officers within local councils, Local Public Health Units and the Department of Health
pest control operators
cooling tower operators
the governance and management of a range of consultative councils established under the Act
the management of infectious diseases, micro-organisms and medical conditions by medical and health practitioners, Victoria's Chief Health Officer and affected individuals
the development of public health policy through providing for municipal public health and wellbeing plans, a State public health and wellbeing plan and in some circumstances, health impact assessments.

Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Act 2022

provide a statutory immunity for certain officers
change the registration of prescribed accommodation for lower risk prescribed accommodation and include accommodation related to labour hire arrangements
omit references to HIV and Hepatitis C
expand the circumstances in which the Chief Health Officer may make an examination and testing order
expand data collection and further analysis powers
provide for other miscellaneous matters
make consequential amendments to the Livestock Disease Control Act 1994.

Reviewed 02 January 2025