June 2011

Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor Geoff Dobson today welcomed news that the Federal Government had recommended Council receive a $700,000-plus grant to run programs that will encourage and support people to adopt and sustain healthier lifestyles.

The grant is part of the Federal Government's $72 million Healthy Communities Initiative, which aims to support local governments to promote healthy lifestyles in the community.
Cr Dobson said Council already ran a number of programs that promoted healthy lifestyles, such as the twilight stroll series, fitness programs run through Aquamoves and the Sports Stadium as well as immunisation and nutrition sessions co-ordinated by its child and maternal health services.
"This funding will allow us to build on these successful programs and develop, often in partnership with other community groups and agencies, even more innovative ways to tackle obesity and diabetes," Cr Dobson said.
Council Leisure Facilities Manager Tony Tranter said the additional funding meant Council could be even more pro-active and involved in improving the community's health and wellbeing.
"The programs we have proposed for this funding round focus on health and nutrition to reduce the incidence of diabetes and other conditions related to obesity or poor eating habits," Mr Tranter said.
"Each program has a slightly different way of achieving this outcome - for example the proposed Community Garden initiative will encourage healthy eating through education while other programs are more about encouraging people to participate in some form of physical activity."
Other proposed programs include working with Vision Australia and Shepparton Table Tennis Association to run a modified form of table tennis know as Swish; an education program to tackle inter-generational malnutrition in newly arrived migrant communities; and a Heart Foundation initiative to establish walking groups for people with disabilities, older people, the unemployed, new migrants and Aboriginal people.
"In conjunction with the Heart Foundation, we will run an exciting program called Beat It, which will see us take exercise and lifestyle education sessions out to some of our smaller communities programs to help people who, for a range of reasons, cannot easily access other health and fitness programs," he said.
Mr Tranter said once the Commonwealth Government signed off on the funding he hoped many of the programs would commence by the end of the year.
For more information about Council's health and wellbeing services visit our website or phone 5832 9700.