The Federal Government has recently announced 12 Healthy Communities grants, totaling $4.9 million, to tackle overweight and obesity in local communities.
As part of the Healthy Communities pilot program, communities will receive funding to run initiatives to get their communities active or participating in exercise.
The Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon made the announcement in regional Victoria on
29 March, where $410,000 will be provided to the Central Goldfields Council to see walking groups and community kitchen programs expanded.
Other programs funded included Whitsunday Regional Council to introduce a mobile health check that will visit local communities; the City of Wanneroo to assist residents with a
12 week physical activity and dietary education program; and the City of Palmerston for an eating and physical activity program to target new and young mothers, young men and seniors.
The successful applicants represent a mix of metropolitan, regional and rural Local Governments, and include some with significant Indigenous populations and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
These initiatives are a down payment on the Government’s efforts to tackle the rising prevalence of lifestyle related chronic diseases by laying the foundations for healthy behaviours in the daily lives of Australians. The Healthy Communities initiative will also encourage partnerships between councils, local businesses and other organisations to develop and deliver locally appropriate responses to promote healthy lifestyles.
Successful authorities in this pilot round were among a representative group invited to submit proposals in a grant process held between December 2009 and January 2010.
In recognition of the levels of disadvantage faced by some communities, the pilot round specifically targeted disadvantaged groups, particularly those not in the workforce and at risk of developing lifestyle related chronic disease.
The Healthy Communities program is funded from the Rudd Government’s $872 Million record investment in preventative heath.
Further applications under the $72 Million Healthy Communities initiative will be invited later in 2010, with an additional round in 2011.
The successful Local Government Areas in the pilot round are:
