A Community of Possibilities! Our Municipal Public Health & Wellbeing Plan was adopted at the Council Meeting on 26 October 2021.

Read the final Plan via the document library on the right hand side of this page.

Our community’s wellbeing is one of Wyndham’s greatest assets. The pandemic has demonstrated just how important health is to our quality of life and overall wellbeing.

In this Health Plan four interrelated domains are tied together – Thriving, Liveable, Safe, Healthy – each essential to promote health and wellbeing. In collaboration with our health sector and non-government partners we will drive this Health Plan to ensure that our community has the infrastructure and services it needs to pursue optimum health and wellbeing.

Our Draft Muncipal Health Public Health & Wellbeing Plan was developed with our community through the Help Shape Wyndham's Future project to make sure their aspirations for our City are delivered.

The Wyndham Municipal Public Health & Wellbeing Plan 2021-25 sets out the public health and wellbeing priorities that Council will pursue over the life of the plan. Framing the plan as ‘Wyndham a community of possibilities’ acknowledges the inherent strengths of the Wyndham Community and its wellbeing.

The Health Plan begins and ends with wellbeing – individual and community wellbeing. It affirms Council’s commitment to inclusive practice so that none are left behind. The Plan’s guiding principle of health equity takes account of the social gradient, recognising that good health is also influenced by our social capital. It is the social support mechanisms that underpin social capital which have been indispensable under the Covid-crisis.

The plan is structured around four interrelated domains. The domains and themes are constructed with the principle of health equity very much to the fore for Covid-recovery. The domains are:

  1. Thriving Wyndham
  1. Liveable Wyndham
  1. Safe Wyndham
  1. Healthy Wyndham

Each is essential in the promotion of public health and wellbeing to produce a Thriving, Liveable, Safe, and Healthy Wyndham.

Consultation findings confirm that during the pandemic Council emerged as a trusted leader. Our stakeholders are keen to see Council play a central role in pandemic relief and recovery.

The approach was informed by the Community Roundtables conducted Sep-Dec 2020, which clearly demonstrated the many challenges to daily life under the pandemic. The following were identified as immediate concerns by residents and incorporated within the Health Plan:

  • Pandemic recovery: a central role for Council in relief and recovery.
  • Mental wellbeing: isolation and disconnection at home and in the workplace.
  • Homelessness: social and affordable housing.
  • Social connection: families more isolated and at risk of family violence.
  • Technology: the digital divide affected access to support services for some residents.
  • Medical care: delays in seeking assistance for existing conditions.

Development of the plan has also benefited from the place-based community conversations undertaken as an aspect the Wyndham 2040 Vision review, including the set of place-based priorities developed for Council’s consideration in development of the Council Plan.

In the initial survey, People and Community drew strong agreement (88%) with existing vision statements for the theme. Suggested updates to the vision statements closely align with Health Plan themes as follows:

  • social inclusion (27%)
  • climate change, sustainability (13%)
  • the importance of community (10%)

Community responses produced close alignment with Health Plan domains and priorities as follows:

  • Focus on diversity, accessibility and inclusion with increased support for different sectors and groups – the Health Plan includes designated priority groups.
  • Increase focus on sports, health and wellbeing and related services
  • Community safety
  • Improve community events
  • Embrace different types of housing

The results for the Leadership and Participation theme also align well with the Health Plan in acknowledging the importance of inclusion (18%) and community (36%).

Outcomes will set the parameters for the health and wellbeing priorities and monitoring and evaluation activities. The Municipal Public Health & Wellbeing Plan 2021-25 begins and ends with wellbeing – individual and community wellbeing. Wellbeing is a measure of our social progress and can be measured and monitored through the outcomes.

Basing the Health Plan on outcomes, rather than a prescriptive action plan, better enables measuring and monitoring the health and wellbeing improvements the plan is designed to reach. With outcomes as the end game, these denote the changes the Health Plan will pursue as we work together with our partners (whole-of-Council, Victorian Government, neighbouring Councils, non-government organisations and others) throughout the life of the plan.

The inbuilt flexibility of employing outcomes allows for fine-tuning and adjustments as the Health Plan progresses over the four years; a flexibility that enables better alignment with Council activities (services, programs and policies) to meet the desired outcomes.

Two more important plans were also recently adopted!

These three draft documents – the Wyndham City Council Plan, Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan and Long Term Financial Plan – have been developed with our community to help shape Wyndham's future.