The City of Swan has been recognised for its outstanding commitment to improving child health in the community, taking out the top award at the 2019 Local Government Policy Awards.
The ninth annual awards, hosted by the Public Health Advocacy Institute of Western Australia (PHAIWA) based at Curtin University, recognised local governments who implemented strategies and policies that helped to promote and improve public health in the community.
The City of Swan entered and excelled in nine out of 11 categories, being named a joint winner in the Planning Healthy Communities for Children category and receiving a commendation in two additional categories. The City of Busselton was named the 2019 Regional Award Winner for implementing policies that were influenced by consultation with children from the community.
Professor Rosa Alati, the Head of the School of Public Health at Curtin University, congratulated every local government that was recognised at the annual awards.
“This is the ninth year that PHAIWA have hosted the awards and it is great to see local governments implementing stronger policies to protect the future health of children in the community,” Professor Alati said.
“The awards cover a broad range of public health issues such as Aboriginal child health, action on alcohol, child health and development, climate change, physical activity, healthy food, and smoke-free environments.
“The promotion of public health is critical and local governments play an important role in making sure their policies benefit those who need it most. I would like to formally congratulate all the local councils that have been recognised at the awards.”
Healthway Chief Executive Officer Ms Susan Hunt said it’s wonderful to see the positive impact that our local governments are having on shaping a healthier Western Australia.
“Congratulations to all the award winners for their outstanding contribution to promoting health and investing in community strategies that encourage healthy lifestyles for all Western Australians,” Ms Hunt said.
The local awards are scored through a report card process, which assesses policy, evaluates program quality, promotes program improvement, and informs and advocates for programs in settings such as schools, urban planning and health services.
The awards were presented by the Hon David Templeman, the Minister for Local Government; Heritage; Culture and the Arts at an event held today.
The 2019 Local Government Policy Awards are supported by the Hon David Templeman, the Minister for Local Government; Heritage; Culture and the Arts, Healthway, WALGA, Commissioner for Children and Young People, Mr Colin Pettit, and Cancer Council WA.
Further information on the awards can be found online here.
