The City of Yarra Health Plan (2009-2013) and the the emerging issues grants for health and wellbeing were officially launched on April 28th, 2010 at an event held at Richmond Town Hall.

In 2008, the Victorian Parliament legislated the Public Health and Wellbeing Act, which requires all councils to produce a municipal public health plan that includes examining the health status of their municipality, identifying goals to achieve maximum health, involving the community in the planning process and partnering with government and agencies.

The mayor, Cr. Jane Garrett, welcomed guests and discussed health and wellbeing issues affecting the local community,

"Council has identified four key health issues for Yarra, including a healthy eating approach, a physically active community, reducing the harm from alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, improving mental health, and improving indigenous health." she said.

Alcohol related conditions are the fourth highest cause of avoidable deaths in Yarra, as well as contributing to poor mental health, cancer and stroke according to the new City of Yarra health report and action plan released in April 2010.

As well as the physical effects, Yarra has the second highest rate of alcohol-related assaults in Victoria. The number of liqour licences has risen from below 4,000 in 1986 to over 16,000 in 2006.

Smoking use leads to the second-highest cause of avoidable deaths in Yarra, lung cancer, as well as leading to numerous other tobacco related illnesses, such as emphysema. 400,000 estimated premature deaths were prevented due to the decline in smoking from 1975 to 1995, as well as a decline in deaths due to lung cancer. However, 18% of Australians aged 14 and over continue to smoke.

Other prescription and illegal drugs are shown to be related to suicide, crime, poisoning, injury and sexually and blood-borne infections. Drug possession and use offences rose by 15.4% in 2007-08. Syringe programs in Victoria in 2005 reported 6.7 million syringes distrubuted with 57% returned.

Indigenous Australians are the highest priority for the City of Yarra, while people in socio-economic disadvantage, inadequate housing and single women with children also are of high concern.

Social disadvantage has been shown to be linked to alcohol, tobacco and drug use, which are often used in a role to manage the stress and depression that can also be linked to social disadvantage. Healthy diet and physical activity is another area where these groups appear to be the most disadvantaged.

Heart disease is the highest cause of avoidable deaths in Yarra, while cancers are also a leading cause. Diabetes is the highest cause of avoidable hospitalisation. But it's not just yarra residents who suffer from poor nutrition.

In 2008, only 7% of Australian males and 10% of females met the healthy eating guidelines of five or more serves of vegetables per day. The rising price of fresh food makes it even harder for disadvantaged groups to maintian a healthy lifestyle for themselves and their families.

Council have acknowledged the consequences of the continuing drug use and plan to work with community health services, Victorian police and the IMAP group to 'develop a regional approach to managing the impacts of alcohol.

"We will focus on people living in long term disadvantage, from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, who live with a disability, women and indigenous Australians." Cr. Garrett said.

"One of the major ways council can improve health outcomes for these groups will be forming partnerships with local community organisations. Council's emerging issues grants are excellent examples of how this can happen and how council can collaborate with the community to address local issues." she said.

Areas of the community that are identified as needing support will be eligible for one of the emerging issues grants. The grants will focus on the health priorities stated in the municipal public health plan.

To apply for one of these grants, expressions of interest must be submitted online by the 26th of May, after which selected groups will be invited to submit a full application. Successful groups will be notified later in the year and will complete their project over the next two years.

For more information on the grants and the report, visit the City of Yarra website.