Events, resources & knowledge hub
On this page there is some documents and resources that have been developed to assist councils staff with administering public health legislation.
On this page:
LGA submissions
Changes to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) legislation
Submission made: December 2024
The LGA supported the intent behind the legislation amendments, while expressing concern that responsibility for health is a State Government responsibility. The LGA has since advocated for changes, so that community health concerns are balanced with considerations about the prudent expenditure of public money.
Read the AEDs (Public Access) Regulations 2024 submission (PDF 2.7 MB).
Review of Public Health Act 2011
Submission made: January 2019
The LGA prepared a submission in response to the Terms of Reference published by the Social Development Committee (SDC) of Parliament on the Review of the South Australian Public Health Act 2011. The submission was informed by consultation with our member council's via workshops and representation at Environmental Health Aust (SA) Special Interest Groups.
Read the Review of the SA Public Health Act 2011 submission to the SDC (PDF 605.6 KB).
Past events and training
Defibrillator legislation and grant opportunities
Webinar held: 17 February 2025
This free webinar went through the recent amendments to the Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Act 2022. The webinar was held to support councils understand and comply with the new requirements, which come into effect on 1 January 2026.
Watch the recording of this webinar
Meet the Mental Health Commissioner
Webinar held: 9 September 2024
LGA hosted a webinar with the Mental Health Commissioner, Taimi Allan.
Watch the recording of this webinar
Infection control and safety for skin penetration and other aesthetic treatments
Online training held: 17 October 2023
SA Health, the LGA and SA Hair and Beauty Association partnered to develop an online training session for EHO’s. It covered Infection control and safety for skin penetration and other aesthetic treatments.
The session was delivered by Think Aesthetics, a QLD-based registered training organisation. The cost of this training was covered by SA Health and provided free to all South Australian EHOs.
Watch the recording of this training session
Indicators of community wellbeing for SA councils
Event and forum held: April 2022
Watch the recording of this event
Local governments work to improve wellbeing through a range of initiatives, under the Local Government Act, the South Australian Public Health Act and a range of plans and strategies generated by councils themselves.
Council contributions to community wellbeing include a broad range of projects, programs and services. However, measuring and monitoring community wellbeing and public health over time is a significant challenge, as is measuring the impact of the programs and services designed to improve it.
With funding from the Local Government Research and Development Scheme, two projects were delivered to fill gaps in this challenging space:
Firstly, the Southern and Hills Local Government Association (S&HLGA) developed a set of indicators of community wellbeing and supporting report as tools for strategic planning and monitoring of wellbeing for local governments, at the LGA level. This project fills an important gap in data and measurement, and in 2021, it was recognised with the Minister for Health and Wellbeing Award for Excellence in Public Health.
The Indicators of community wellbeing provide robust and meaningful measures to inform council plans and actions to improve community wellbeing and the report provides a framework and template for developing indicator reports for all SA local governments. The indicators cover critical economic, social health, environmental and civic topics. The indicator framework was developed with input from a wide range of Councils and other stakeholders.
Chief Public Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier officially launched the Indicators at the event and Project Consultant, Jeanette Pope, provided an overview of the indicators and how they were selected.
Secondly, the Local Government Professionals Australia, SA Community Managers Network developed the Valuing Social Outcomes Tool and a suite of supporting materials. The Tool is designed to assist local government community development/community services practitioners in assessing the impact of the programs they deliver via social value measurement and the expression of this impact in dollar terms.
Carla Leversedge and Mike Brown, representing the Local Government Professionals Australia, SA Community Managers Network provided participants with an overview of the tool and an insight into how the tool can be used.
Lastly, Dr Katherine Pontifex from Wellbeing SA provided participants with an overview of the Wellbeing Index for South Australia. This Index will enable the monitoring of indicators of physical, mental and social/community and Aboriginal cultural wellbeing outcomes for South Australians over time. It will be hosted on the Wellbeing SA internet site by mid-2022. The presentation also considered how this Index complements the Community Wellbeing Indicators project.
Regional public health planning workshop
Workshop held: November 2019
To celebrate the release of the Guide to Regional Public Health Planning (PDF 5.5 MB) and to support its implementation, a networking ad capacity building workshop was held for council staff involved in preparing, implementing and reviewing a Regional Public Health Plan.
The workshop was well attended and covered:
- an Introduction to the Guide with an interactive presentation from PHIDU covering aspects of the Population Health profiles, including an overview on the online resources, functionality of the maps and how to access the data
- an update on Public Health Partner Authorities
- an update on findings from council section 52 reports (2016-2018).
It also provided an opportunity for participants to hear from organisations that could potentially assist councils with evidence-based suggestions for strategies and actions that sit under a Regional Public Health Plan. The organisations represented included:
- SACOSS
- Alcohol and Drug Foundation
- Heart Foundation
- Country SA and Adelaide PHNs
- Wellbeing SA.
Resources
Guide to regional public health planning
The South Australian Public Health Act 2011 (SAPH Act) provides a statutory framework for State and local governments to protect the public health of the community, prevent illness, disease and injury and promote conditions to support community wellbeing.
The Act recognises councils as the Public Health Authority for their area and Section 51 requires councils to develop Regional Public Health Plans, which have regard to issues identified in the State Public Health Plan and which respond to local needs and priorities.
The LGA, in collaboration with SA Health and informed by council feedback has developed a resource to assist councils (or groups of councils) in preparing and maintaining this guide.
The Guide to Regional Public Health Planning aims to inform councils on the scope and principles of public health planning and the process and components of good planning practice to support greater consistency amongst SA Councils.
Guide to Regional Public Health Planning (PDF 5.5 MB)
Public health resource directory
The public health resource directory provides information about a wide range of programs, policies, guidelines and funding opportunities that can be used by councils directly, or in collaboration with community groups to initiate new activities.
Many councils already have partnerships with community groups that promote health and wellbeing and these partnerships may be strengthened using the resources provided by this directory.
Public Health Resource Directory (PDF 3.3 MB)
Hoarding and squalor: SA service and support guide
A hoarding and squalor support guide has been developed by Junction Australia and funded through the LGA's Research and Development Scheme. The guide seeks to build understanding about the disorder, best practice for treatment and referral pathways.
Hoarding and Squalor: SA Service and Support Guide (PDF 816.7 KB)
Asbestos
Councils continue to receive complaints and enquiries related to asbestos. Issues are primarily centred around illegal dumping on council land and the management of asbestos containing material (ACM) in a domestic setting. The LGA will continue to advocate to the State government to commence a state-wide Asbestos Strategy.
Asbestos is not only a local government issue and requires a joint response by State and local government and other stakeholders. Further information regarding asbestos can be found on the SA Government's asbestos website.
This website was updated at the end of 2019 and it is recommended that all councils provide links to it. The development of the website was a collaboration between LGA, SafeWork SA, SA Health, the EPA, Housing SA and DPTI. Each agency plays an important role in managing the risks of exposure and providing information and advice to South Australians about asbestos.
More asbestos resources:
Find out more
For more information, please contact: belinda.tassone@lga.sa.gov.au