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Health Impact Assessment: Making the Difference

Health Impact Assessment: Making the Difference. Session 5 Chair: Eva Elliott. Positioning Health Impact Assessment in Local Government in Victoria Grace Blau, Research Fellow, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. OVERVIEW. Victorian Local Government context Background to project

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Health Impact Assessment: Making the Difference

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  1. Health Impact Assessment: Making the Difference Session 5 Chair: Eva Elliott

  2. Positioning Health Impact Assessment in Local Government in Victoria Grace Blau, Research Fellow, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia

  3. OVERVIEW • Victorian Local Government context • Background to project • Aims of project • Methodology • Results • Proposed Model • Conclusions • Recommendations

  4. VICTORIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTEXT • Third tier of government • 79 local governments in Victoria • Governance • Advocacy • Service delivery • Local area planning • Community development • Regulation • Focus broadening from ‘hard’ infrastructure’ to ‘social services’

  5. VICTORIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTEXT • Assessment of health impacts • Land use & development planning applications • Via Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) - legislated • Only when an EIA is triggered • Only large private or public works proposals • Only of negative health impacts resulting from changes in the environment • Has rarely been applied

  6. VICTORIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTEXT • Assessment of social impacts • Land use & development planning applications • Legislation (“should” not “must”) • “Social impact assessment” policy (only one local government) • Applications for new or extended gambling licences • Voluntary NO ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH OR SOCIAL IMPACTS OF POLICIES, STRATEGIES, PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

  7. BACKGROUND TO PROJECT • Municipal public health plans • 1958 StateHealth Act (1988 amendment) • Municipal public health planning framework • Environments for Health (2001) • “Social model of health” - awareness raising, education & resources • For councillors & urban planners (since 2000) • Funding for municipal public health planning • Good Practice Program (since 2002)

  8. AIMS OF PROJECT • To explore potential positioning and application of HIA within Victorian local governments • To examine contextual and operational conditions needed for its inclusion within local government planning processes • To identify barriers and enablers

  9. METHODOLOGY • Reference Group & Working Group • Data Collection • Literature review • Key Informant Interviews • Focus groups • Case studies • Planning and policy development processes, structures & documents • Data analysis • Major themes

  10. RESULTS Major Themes (international information) • ‘Health’ has many meanings • Champions, allies and leaders are crucial • Resistance to HIA due to confusion or fear • Organisational characteristics need careful consideration • Building capacity for HIA is crucial • Legislating for HIA can bring both gains and losses • Positioning HIA brings benefits but requires careful planning across sectors

  11. RESULTS Major Themes (local information) • Local government sector is quite diverse • Organisational culture and structure • Resources (human and financial) • Planning and policy development processes, structures & documents • Quality of planning • Increasing demands on local governments • Strained relationship with State Government • ‘Health inequalities’ is not on the agenda • Public health planning not well coordinated

  12. PROPOSED MODEL • Local governments could apply a range of methods along a continuum to consider potential health impacts of proposed policies, plans, programs and services • Checklists or screening tools applied routinely • Rapid, prospective HIA applied strategically • Comprehensive HIA applied occasionally “No One Size Fits All”

  13. CONCLUSIONS • No method exists in the Victorian local government sector by which to systematically and adequately consider potential health impacts of proposed policies, strategies, plans, programs, services or development projects

  14. CONCLUSIONS • Health impact assessment methods could assist, but their application will be voluntary • Positioning and applying health impact assessment in Victorian local governments will require careful planning, further discussion and close collaboration across levels of government and across sectors

  15. RECOMMENDATIONS • That an intersectoral committee be established between key stakeholders at State Government level to discuss the positioning of health impact assessment in Victoria • That opportunities be sought to raise awareness of health impact assessment amongst professional planners in local government

  16. RECOMMENDATIONS • That capacity for health impact assessment be built in those Victorian local governments which are willing and able to apply it • That resources be made available to undertake health impact assessment demonstration models in the local government sector

  17. www.deakin.edu.au/hbs/hia graceb@deakin.edu.au

  18. 7th International Health Impact Assessment Conference Health Impact Assessment: Making the Difference Supported by:

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