The council’s Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan is a key part of its planning framework. 

The four-year plan was released in 2017. 

Mayor Tony Driscoll said the plan was vital to improving health and wellbeing across the shire.

“Throughout the process to develop the plan, we have engaged the appropriate community organisations and individuals to ensure that this plan is reflective of the wants, needs and concerns of the wider Northern Grampians shire community,” he said.

Feedback from the plan shows residents consider their physical and psychological wellness important.

They also take care in the way they live and work, engage with social networks, friends and family and access leisure or recreation facilities and services.

The plan aims to capture the health and well-being status of residents and present this plan in partnership with local health providers, community organisations to ensure the health needs of the community are addressed.

Residents identified four key health areas for the shire – healthy eating, active living, improving mental wellbeing and preventing physical violence and related injury.

The plan also includes municipal early years planning, including strategies and actions.

The council’s community strengthening manager Naomi Goode said in more recent years health and wellbeing plans had evolved to include more than “basic” services.

“Plans have grown to have more integrated health services,” she said.

“We are working with key areas in the community. Soon there will be programs starting and one of those will be in schools around resilience and mental wellbeing.” 

The council launched a 12-week challenge in Stawell this week as part of the plan.