Health Act

Health Act Review

In July 2005, the Department of Health (DoH) released a New Public Health Act for Western Australia - A Discussion Paper for Public Consultation. The Discussion paper proposed the replacement of the core public health provisions of the Health Act with a risk based approach to the protection and promotion of public health  to be administered. The WA Local Government Association prepared a position paper on the proposed amendments and welcomed comment from interested Council officers and elected members.

New Public Health Bill

In December 2005, based on the feedback from member Councils, State Council endorsed in principle the development of the New Public Health Bill recognising that the risk management approach would strengthen Local Governments ability to service their communities and meet local needs by providing increased flexibility and autonomy for Local Government.

The new Public Health Bill and the enactment of the WARR Act 2007 have seen all regulations relating to waste and waste management shift from the Health Act 1911 to the WARR Act 2007. The new Public Health Act will also provide a mechanism for Local Government to recover the costs of services it provides to the community. Part 8 of the Bill deals with Registration and Licensing by enforcement agencies, under which registrable and licensable activities can be detected by regulations and policies. To access information in relation to the draft Public Health Bill click here.

In 2008, the WA Local Government Association prepared a submission on the draft Public Health Bill, which is available here. For further information contact  Jodie Holbrook, Policy Manager (Community) on jholbrook@walga.asn.au or 08 9213 2044.