Golden Plains Shire spans the traditional lands of the Wadawurrung and Eastern Maar People. We acknowledge them as the Traditional Owners and Custodians.
Council pays its respects to both Wadawurrung and Eastern Maar Elders past, present and emerging.
Council extends that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People who are part of the Golden Plains Shire.
The Golden Plains Shire Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 20252029 has been incorporated into the Council Plan. This embeds an integrated responsibility across all areas of Council reflecting the view that ‘health and wellbeing is everyone’s responsibility’.
In order to track, monitor and evaluate progress made in the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2025-2029, Golden Plains Shire Council has collaborated across all teams and departments to develop a Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan Action Plan. The Action Plan outlines a framework for coordinated action across all health and wellbeing priority areas. It details the health and wellbeing objectives and initiatives to which Council will implement and partner to deliver actions, ensuring that all residents can achieve optimal health and wellbeing and participate fully in their community. Indicators have been included to assist in measuring progress made in achieving our outcomes under each priority area.
The Action Plan addresses the six health and wellbeing priorities of the Golden Plains Shire Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2025-2029.
The health and wellbeing priority areas are not mutually exclusive. Actions across a range of health and wellbeing priorities in a variety of settings can contribute to improvements in health and wellbeing. For example, taking action to improve healthy eating and active living, reduce violence, tackle climate change and its impacts on health, and reduce tobacco-related harm, are all shown to improve health and wellbeing and reduce the risk of developing mental illness.
Council areas involved in the development of the Action Plan include:
• Community Health and Wellbeing
• Community Safety
Community Development
• Environment and Open Spaces
Community Inclusion
• Children’s Services
• People and Performance
Recreation and Community Facilities
• Youth
Economic Development
Council recognises that working with partners across our community is vital to achieving our health and wellbeing objectives. The partners involved in delivering activities under our action plan include but are not limited to, health organisations, preventative health services, community groups, regional networks, sporting associations, family violence support services and the education and disability sectors. The Action Plan is designed to capture this vital partner work.
Ongoing governance and monitoring will be conducted, with an annual review to measure the success and impact of our work and evaluate the effectiveness of the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan. The evaluation will capture those activities delivered under each initiative and document important partnership work. The annual review undertaken in the final year of the plan will have a stronger focus on the impact and outcomes achieved over the entirety of the plan.
All council areas will evaluate their annual actions using customised reporting templates designed to measure the reach, impact and progress of actions as well as partnership activities that have occurred.
It is widely acknowledged in the field of public health that changes in population health outcomes occur over long periods of time and can be difficult to measure in the short term. The action plan identifies indicators for measuring the outcomes of our health and wellbeing work whilst acknowledging that changes may not become evident throughout the life of this four (4) year plan. Figure 1. flowchart of the structure of
The Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2025-2029 acknowledges the social determinants of health, access and equity as vital components to community health and wellbeing.
Key inequities impacting Golden Plains Shire include:
Access to health services
• Access to transport
Access to social support
As a result, the core principles that underly the Action Plan are:
Place based local solutions: Recognising how the places where people live, learn, work and play have an important role in shaping health and wellbeing.
Sustainable progress: Embedding capacity building and empowerment into all health and wellbeing activities to ensure long-term benefits can be sustained.
• Increasing access: Facilitating increased and equitable access to local health and community services to meet the current and future needs of the Shire community.
What do we want to achieve?
How will we measure our success?
The community has financial security
The community has good mental health
People are socially engaged and live in inclusive communities
Number, reach and range of programs, activities and services being delivered to the shire
Financial security
Loneliness and life satisfaction rates
Rates of mental illness
What are we going to do?
Engagement/ Participation
Provide and support programs, activities, initiatives and infrastructure that help to reduce mental illness and financial insecurity and improve wellbeing.
Increase community understanding of wellbeing and mental health.
Coordination, policy development research, capacity building, advocacy, skill development.
We will celebrate our local volunteers while supporting volunteer groups to maintain local facilities and contribute to the resilience of their communities.
We will build genuine connections with our community by sharing updates, actively listening, and using inclusive consultation to ensure that local voices guide our services, programs, and the decisions that shape our future.
We will provide opportunities and remove barriers that prevent people from being active participants in the wider community.
We will focus on activities and services that enable inclusion.
We will work with developers and the relevant authorities to meet the housing needs of our growing community, focusing on quality rural and urban living for our new and existing communities.
We will plan, provide and maintain open spaces and facilities to keep community healthy and active and to support social connection.
We will advocate for improved transport options for community between townships and regional centres and promote active transport infrastructure.
We will take action on climate change and strengthen resilience.
We will manage, enhance, and protect our natural ecosystems, landscapes, and open spaces with cultural sensitivity.
We will engage with key funding and business stakeholders through consultations, collaborative initiatives and strategic partnerships to strengthen out advocacy and relationships.
We will support and advocate for education and training opportunities in our region, focusing on pathways in growing and emerging industries.
We will support local producers, agriculture and businesses to grow their resilience and adapt to the risks posed by a changing climate.
We will deliver viable services that meet the needs of all townships and communities across our Shire.
We will review operational costs and efficiency, identifying savings to reallocate towards critical priorities like road infrastructure, while ensuring responsive service delivery.
We will communicate clearly using plain language about what we can do, where we are limited, and the decisions we have made.
What do we want to achieve?
The community has improved active living habits
How will we measure our success?
Number, reach and range of programs, activities and services being delivered to the shire
Improved positive health outcomes
Community has sustained access to affordable, culturally appropriate and safe opportunities to be physically active
Proportion of people meeting recommended physical activity requirements
Rates of self-reported good health
Proportion of people who are overweight or obese
What are we going to do?
Participation
Provide and support programs, activities, initiatives and infrastructure that facilitate increased participation in physical activity.
Increase community understanding about active living.
Coordination, policy development research, capacity building, advocacy, skill development
We will celebrate our local volunteers while supporting volunteer groups to maintain local facilities and contribute to the resilience of their communities.
We will build genuine connections with our community by sharing updates, actively listening, and using inclusive consultation to ensure that local voices guide our services, programs, and the decisions that shape our future.
We will focus on activities and services that enable inclusion.
We will work with developers and the relevant authorities to meet the housing needs of our growing community, focusing on quality rural and urban living for our new and existing communities.
We will plan, provide and maintain open spaces and facilities to keep community healthy and active and to support social connection.
We will advocate for improved transport options for community between townships and regional centres and promote active transport infrastructure.
We will take action on climate change and strengthen resilience.
We will manage, enhance, and protect our natural ecosystems, landscapes, and open spaces with cultural sensitivity.
What do we want to achieve?
The prevalence of violence is reduced for all residents equally
All residents who experience violence receive the support they need when they need it
How will we measure our success?
Number, reach and range of programs, activities and services being delivered to the shire
Rates of family violence
Rates of self-reported safety
Service provider utilisation data
What are we going to do?
Provide and support programs, activities, initiatives and infrastructure that help the community to prevent violence in all forms.
Respond to the needs of the victims of violence
Increase community understanding of family violence.
Coordination, policy development research, capacity building, advocacy, skill development
Strategic Objectives: Community
We will build genuine connections with our community by sharing updates, actively listening, and using inclusive consultation to ensure that local voices guide our services, programs, and the decisions that shape our future.
We will provide opportunities and remove barriers that prevent people from being active participants in the wider community.
Strategic Objectives: Liveability
We will focus on activities and services that enable inclusion.
We will plan, provide and maintain open spaces and facilities to keep community healthy and active and to support social connection.
We will advocate for improved transport options for community between townships and regional centres and promote active transport infrastructure.
Strategic Objectives: Prosperity
We will support and advocate for education and training opportunities in our region, focusing on pathways in growing and emerging industries.
We will support local producers, agriculture and businesses to grow their resilience and adapt to the risks posed by a changing climate.
Strategic Objectives: Leadership
We will deliver viable services that meet the needs of all townships and communities across our Shire.
What do we want to achieve?
The community has improved healthy eating habits
Improved positive health outcomes
Community has sustained access to affordable, culturally appropriate, safe and healthy food
How will we measure our success?
Number, reach and range of programs, activities and services being delivered to the shire
Rates of food insecurity
Proportion of people who eat the recommended daily servings of fruit and vegetables
Rates of sugar sweetened beverage consumption
Proportion of people who are overweight or obese
What are we going to do?
Participation
Provide and support programs, activities, initiatives and infrastructure that encourage healthy eating, food security and decreased consumption of discretionary foods
Increase community understanding about healthy eating.
Coordination, policy development research, capacity building, advocacy, skill development
Strategic Objectives: Community
We will build genuine connections with our community by sharing updates, actively listening, and using inclusive consultation to ensure that local voices guide our services, programs, and the decisions that shape our future.
Strategic Objectives:
We will take action on climate change and strengthen resilience.
What do we want to achieve?
How will we measure our success?
Increase environmental sustainability and quality
Residents have access to sustainable built and natural environments
Residents belong to resilient and liveable communities
Communities can adapt to the impacts of climate change
What are we going to do?
Provide and support programs, activities, initiatives and infrastructure that that helps the community to prevent, prepare, respond and recover from health impacts associated with climate change.
Increase community understanding about climate change and actions they can take to stay healthy in a changing climate.
Number, reach and range of programs, activities and services being delivered to the shire
Proportion of people who cannot keep their homes warm/cool when needed
Coordination, policy development, research, capacity building, advocacy, skill development
Strategic Objectives: Community
We will build genuine connections with our community by sharing updates, actively listening, and using inclusive consultation to ensure that local voices guide our services, programs, and the decisions that shape our future.
Strategic Objectives: Liveability
We will focus on activities, services and infrastructure that enable inclusion.
We will work with developers and the relevant authorities to meet the housing needs of our growing community, focusing on quality rural and urban living for our new and existing communities.
We will plan, provide and maintain open spaces and facilities to keep community healthy and active and to support social connection.
We will advocate for improved transport options for the community between townships and regional centres and promote active transport infrastructure.
Strategic Objectives: Sustainability
We will take action on climate change and strengthen resilience.
We will manage, enhance, and protect our natural ecosystems, landscapes, and open spaces with cultural sensitivity.
We will embed the principles of environmental sustainability across Council and community.
We will advance the circular economy and improve waste management.
Strategic Objectives: Prosperity
We will support and advocate for education and training opportunities in our region, focusing on pathways in growing and emerging industries.
We will support local producers, agriculture and businesses to grow their resilience and adapt to the risks posed by a changing climate.
Strategic Objectives: Leadership
We will deliver viable services that meet the needs of all townships and communities across our Shire.
What do we want to achieve?
The community has improved smoking and e-cigarette use habits
The community experiences a decrease in tobacco related diseases
What are we going to do?
Engagement/ Participation
Provide and support programs, activities, initiatives and infrastructure that help to reduce smoking and e-cigarette use
How will we measure our success?
Number, reach and range of programs, activities and services being delivered to the shire
Rates of smoking and e-cigarette use
Increase community understanding about the harms caused by tobacco and e-cigarette use
Coordination, policy development, research, capacity building, advocacy, skill development
We will build genuine connections with our community by sharing updates, actively listening, and using inclusive consultation to ensure that local voices guide our services, programs, and the decisions that shape our future.
2 Pope Street, Bannockburn, VIC 3331
19 Heales Street, Smythesdale, VIC 3351 PO Box 111, Bannockburn, VIC 3331
5220 7111 enquiries@gplains.vic.gov.au goldenplains.vic.gov.au
CUSTOMER HUB HOURS
Bannockburn (Civic Centre) 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
Smythesdale (The Well) 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
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