At the 2001 General Assembly of Local Governments a remote Community Government Council from the Northern Territory was awarded the ‘National Overall Winner’ of the prestigious Heart Foundation Kellogg Local Government Awards. Numbulwar Numburindi Community Government Council was awarded $10,000 for its ‘Community Food and Nutrition Project’ that promoted healthy food choices and hygiene through a store policy for the Numbulwar Store and Takeaway.
Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity are the major health problems for adults over 30 years old in the Numbulwar community. These health problems are largely the result of a limited access to nutritious food and education.
Due to its remoteness, and for cultural reasons, Numbulwar was without an adequate store for many years. With the opening of a new store, the community and Numbulwar Numburindi Council saw an opportunity to address their nutrition problems with the store as the main focus for a nutrition intervention and education project.
With the strong support and assistance of the East Arnhem nutritionist, the project initially aimed to promote healthy food choices and hygiene through the development of a store policy for Numbulwar Store and Numbulwar Takeaway.
The project grew to incorporate other community organisations such as the Women’s Resource Centre, Respite Centre, school tuckshop and the Community Health Clinic. Each organisation developed nutrition education components for the program, ensuring that the community will gain the knowledge, skills and understanding to support healthy food choices, and how to prepare, store and use healthy food products.
The project impacts upon the entire community. Numbulwar now has a healthy Takeaway and a store policy that has increased the availability of alternatives to high sugar and high fat foods. For example, the Store now stocks more 100 per cent fruit juices than soft drinks. There are weekly and monthly cooking demonstrations at the Women’s Centre and the Store.
Long term Council plans are in place to develop community gardens to improve the quality of fresh produce available in the town. With the opening of a new store and a concerted effort by the whole community to create and maintain healthy, affordable food in the store, Numbulwar has clearly demonstrated that with community will, effort and the right management, improved health outcomes in Aboriginal communities are attainable and sustainable.
A further six national category winners were announced, each receiving a $2,000 award for their local initiatives.
- National Physical Activity Project – Leichhardt Council, NSW
- National Project by a Community Organisation – City of Darebin and Life Activities Club Darebin, VIC
- National Recreation Facility – City of Bayswater, WA
- National Policy for Structural Change – City of Casey, VIC
- National Project with Limited Resources – Queensland Health, Education Queensland, Dajarra and Doomadgee State Schools, QLD
- National Small Rural and Remote Community Project – Gapuwiyak Community Council, NT.
Proudly sponsored by Kellogg, the 2001 Heart Foundation Kellogg Local Government Awards recognise and promote excellence in Local Government initiatives that encourage healthy lifestyles and promote heart health.
Through these Awards the National Heart Foundation and Kellogg acknowledge that Local Government is an important, indeed vital, partner in the fight against heart and blood vessel disease – Australia’s number one killer and our community’s biggest health problem.
For more information about the Heart Foundation Kellogg Local Government Awards, contact the Heart Foundation’s Heartline on 1300 362 787.
