Healthy Environments

The Healthy Environments portfolio focuses on aspects of the physical, built and social environments in which people work, live and enjoy leisure time, in an effort to improve the underlying conditions which impact on people's lives and can contribute to, or present barriers to,  the ability to live a healthy life.

This includes: access to nutritious food, including financial and geographical access; proximity to parks and outdoor leisure opportunities; indoor and outdoor places and activities to socialise and build community; availability of walking and bike paths; and more broadly, access to affordable housing, education and employment opportunities.

The Health Promotion Service works with local councils, other government departments, community partners and with the Healthy People and Places Unit in Population Health to identify and address issues related to healthy environments, providing expert advice to planning documents and submissions, and participating in working groups such as Community Renewal and Health and Housing.