Local Push for Healthier Lifestyles Kicks off in WA

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New healthy eating and exercise programs, including walking groups and active transport, will be on offer in four regions of Western Australia to help combat obesity. 

Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon and Member for Fremantle Melissa Parke today announced that four local government organisations in Western Australia, including the City of Cockburn, will receive funding to run programs that will encourage and support people to adopt and sustain healthier lifestyles.

Each local government will receive a grant of more than $700,000 as part of the Gillard Governments $72 million Healthy Communities Initiative, which aims to support local governments reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the community. 

“We want to keep Australians well and out of hospital, and initiatives like Healthy Communities help to fund programs that are established locally to best address local health needs.

“The Cockburn City Council is one example where they are introducing tried and tested physical activity and healthy eating programs to suit their local needs.

“The grants are focused on helping overweight adults who are not in the paid workforce and live in areas of social disadvantage.”

The grants will be offered to the following local government organisations:

• City of Cockburn for the ‘Co-Health Lifestyle’ project
• City of Bunbury for the ‘Get Healthy Get Active Feel Great’ project
• City of Geraldton for the ‘Go Gero!’ project
• Shire of Manjimup for the ‘Warren Blackwood Healthy Communities’ project

“We know that preventive health measures work and that’s why we are encouraging all Australian’s to get active and eat well,” Ms Parke said.

“Cockburn locals will have the chance to try out nutrition, food budgeting, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and cooking classes.”

The four Western Australian local government organisations are among 33 that will receive a total of $23 million under phase two of the Healthy Communities grants round. The grants are mostly in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia. 

“Eighty per cent of the recommended local government areas have combined overweight and obesity rates above the national average and even more experience significant social and economic disadvantage” Ms Roxon said. 

“These projects will focus on at-risk populations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, new wave migrants and those living with disabilities.”

For more information, contact the Minister's Office on (02) 6277 7220 

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