81. Improve public health and reduce chronic disease by enabling the built environment to play a stronger role in addressing the wider determinants of health, including:
- aligning strategic planning and infrastructure proposals to the State Public Health Plan for Western Australia and reporting progress against achieving its objectives through normal reporting mechanisms, such as annual reports
- finalising regulations required to implement public health assessments, which should be completed for significant strategic planning and infrastructure proposals that are assessed as presenting a high public health risk or have the significant potential for enhanced health outcomes.
The WA Government responded to Foundation for a stronger tomorrow in February 2023. Recommendation 81 (a) is fully supported; (b) is partially supported. For further information please refer to the response document.
Actions:
81.127 Develop a framework for assessment and referral of relevant public health assessments to appropriate subject matter experts within DoH
81.128 Investigate regulations to implement public health assessments for significant strategic planning and infrastructure proposals
2/2 actions on schedule
81.127 On schedule
Public Health Assessment (PHA) regulations will be informed by the current processes across government being reviewed and implemented. The intention of PHAs is to identify human health concerns at the early stage of development submissions and to complement existing approvals processes.
81.128 On schedule
The Department is engaging with other government departments who act as decision making authorities in the planning approvals process.