STRATEGY SUMMARY ~ SOCIAL INCLUSION & WELLBEING
The health of a community does not depend on its health services
PURPOSE
For millennia the New England high country has been a meeting
place to exchange knowledge & sustain culture for Aboriginal
people for more than 50,000 years, with 5 custodian Aboriginal
Nations inhabiting the area, particularly in the warm season.
Coming forward to modern history, Aboriginal populations are
forecast to grow markedly over the coming two decades (NSW
Government forecasts).
The New England's multi cultural origins have continued into the
modern era, with the UNE bringing students & staff from all over
the world, significantly complementing the cultural diversity that
has been part of Australia's post European history. For example
Armidale has the only non-metropolitan mosque in Australia.
In the early 1900’s Armidale was a health resort. It has been a
centre for health ever since, including professional development &
learning and providing a wide range of health services,
mainstream, Aboriginal and complimentary. Increasingly nature-
based activities are also being identified for health-related
benefits and opportunities.
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alone, but on levels of nutrition, education, employment, income
and housing, general standards of hygiene, environmental safety
and the availability of cultural and recreational amenities
(Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 1994).
In this sense, social inclusion, health & well-being are interwoven
holistic aspirations that encompass communities which truly
include their full diversity of members ~ across age & generations,
culture & belief, profession & livelihood, colour & origins ~ and they
are free to fulfil their wellness across physical, mental, emotional,
spiritual, economic and other domains of wellbeing.
Health was overwhelmingly identified as the electorate's major
issue with 51.89% of survey respondents raking it the number one
priority ~ 2010 Northern Tablelands Electorate Survey – ‘The shape
of the future’.
STRATEGIC QUESTIONS
• What other current initiatives aren't represented?
• How do we better integrate, collaborate & support across
various initiatives & strategies?
• What else do we need to do now?
NESS is an initiative of
STRATEGY SUMMARY ~ SOCIAL INCLUSION & WELLBEING
CURRENT INITIATIVES
Greater Personal Responsibility for
health, education & wood heater
replacement program to address
wood smoke pollution, increasing
access to & knowledge about services,
provide information regarding
community health & well-being
services, healthy lifestyles &
preventative actions, community
education campaign about noise
impacts of air conditioners & heat
pumps on neighbours, encourage
developers to design buildings to avoid
the need for heat pumps & air
conditioners, health advocacy training
for community members, educate
patients to enhance their capacity to
self manage & make decisions about
their own health, increase focus on
disease prevention & health promotion
Available & Appropriate Housing for all
social groups, affordable & sustainable
housing, more affordable public
housing ~ rent, retain government
incentives for low income earners & first
home buyers, housing sub-division
infrastructure (Guyra)
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Master Plans for open space &
recreational areas ensuring shade &
water fountains, Develop an Aboriginal
Health Plan in partnership with local
Aboriginal people, including
partnerships & communication
agreement, develop service plans to
increase access to services according
to identified priority needs, Public
Health Plan which includes an extreme
heat strategy, Public Health Plan
including education regarding risks
associated with storms & hail &
preventative actions, develop local
holistic models of health services
Source Healthcare Benchmarks &
compare with town audits, regularly
update audit of services, air quality
monitoring, consolidate research on
Doctor & Specialist service shortages,
research successful Aboriginal projects
(including business) for replication
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Upgrading Health Services nursing,
visiting GP (Bundarra), Youth & disabled
housing (Uralla), services for ageing
population, eHealth (especially for
specialists), service models to avoid
forced travel for treatment, more
visiting specialists, surgeons, bus
transport for elderly to visit Inverell
medical services, (Bundarra), increase
outreach for specialist services close to
where people live, improve availability
of maternal & child health care, more
dental services, upgrade & increase
aged care services, ensure HACC
services can meet climate changes,
maintain emergency services to meet
future needs, establish programs to
address mental & psychological health,
build capacity of services to ensure
capability for increased demand in
extreme weather events, water security
strategy to address increased potential
for water borne disease, advocate for
mental health/ counselling services,
upgrade hospital, attract & retain
doctors, appointment senior manager
for Council Healthy Community Team,
Multi-purpose health centre to cater
for ageing population (Walcha),
Female Doctor (Walcha), aged care,
NESS is an initiative of
Harness Community Enthusiasm & drive,
build social capacity, trust & safety
through participatory decision-making,
development with local decision-
making, participation in decision-
making, recognise community
engagement - expand awards,
Address community disengagement,
empower community in decision-
making, allowing people to have their
say, reflecting, considering, testing with
stakeholders how they will be affected
by decisions, develop a forum for
ongoing community involvement in
climate change adaptation,
Community-based Consultative Group,
Arts Advisory Group, engage
productively with surrounding areas &
alumni
Policy & action geared to address
social determinants of health, returning
hospitals to local control, address
poverty, gender equity, fair trade &
corruption, linked regional & inter-
agency approaches for child
protection, homelessness, domestic &
family violence
STRATEGY SUMMARY ~ SOCIAL INCLUSION & WELLBEING
family day & childcare (Uralla), multi-
purpose community precinct for
medical, childcare, library & Aboriginal
Lands Council (Guyra)
Enterprise Opportunities, specialist
health units – Brain, Injury Care, Aged
Services, Wellness health centres,
complimentary medicine, fresh air
climate, develop a clear vision,
personal & corporate wellness & de-
stress programs, packages & health
tourism, promotion as a healthy place
for retirement
Develop jobs for students, their families
& refugees with ESL, employment,
education & training for Aboriginal
people, prison & community service
programs (in-kind track works), provide
employment opportunities for
unemployed & indigenous people,
position Land Councils to take
advantage of opportunities for value
adding, diversification & creation of
satellite industry across the region in all
sectors including Forestry, Fishing and
diversify into projected growth sectors
such as Construction, Manufacturing
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and Health and Community Services, isolation (new residents morning tea),
retain skill base by stabilising Quality Educational opportunities - life
population flows long learning, foster educational
excellence
Outdoor urban spaces conducive to Agreement & Cooperation, statement Policing for night & weekends (to
human well-being, parks, gardens that between stakeholders, improve visibility address antisocial behaviour), safe
encourage people to meet, healing & accessibility of health & community inclusive supportive community
journeys & walks along bush tracks for services (eg. Co-location, booklet, environment, implement community
emotional wellbeing, annual website, posters), establish Aboriginal safety plan, street lighting, 24hr
community cycling event, Get Active reference group, link Aboriginal policing, more more police powers to
Calendar Promotion as part of the community, AMS, GPs & health enforce law & be more proactive,
walking track to east coast, Widening professionals to increase number of visible & 'on the beat' plus freed up
Men's Shed activities (Guyra), Health chronic disease management care from administrative duties, licensed
Complex building onto & integrating plans, create linkages between premises close earlier, crime prevention
with gym, men's shed (Walcha) scientists, politicians & community, through agreements with Local
promote partnership approach to Councils, support Liquor Accords
Respect & Cultural Inclusion, Aboriginal
integrated health, aged, home &
community, sense of place &
community care, hold health
community prominence of Aboriginal &
stakeholder forums, health well-being
minority groups, in curriculum, training
network
in cultural heritage, target areas where
knowledge can powerfully impact on
social inclusion, recognition of different
learning styles in curriculum, library
stocks climate change resources for
self help & local action, promote grass
roots awareness of climate change to
create & facilitate community
discussion, programs to improve
community cohesion & reduce social
NESS is an initiative of
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STRATEGY SUMMARY ~ SOCIAL INCLUSION & WELLBEING
KEY PERFORMANCE & PROGRESS INDICATORS Climate Change Consensus ~ Waterfall Way Eco-Tourism Initiative
Health & Wellbeing – chronic diseases, minimum life expectancy, Uralla, Guyra & Armidale Councils

immunization rates, obesity, drug abuse, mental illness, mental, 2010 Northern Tablelands Climate Change Adaptation
physical & emotional & spiritual wellbeing Electorate Survey ~ ‘The shape of Action Plan ~ Uralla, Guyra, Walcha
the future’ & Armidale Councils
Education & Employment – participation rates, school, VET &
University of New England Strategic Uralla Creative Village
tertiary graduates, literacy / numeracy, early childhood access,
Plan (2007 - 2010)
workforce participation, wage parity
Northern Inland Regional Healthy People ~ Living and
Housing – numbers in government and community housing,
Development Plan (2010‐2015) Learning in a Health Environment
waiting lists, evictions, permanency, homelessness, housing
Local Government Plans – Walcha Southern New England State of the
affordability & ownership rates
Social Plan, Armidale Strategic Environment Report (2008-2009)
Access to resources, participation in decision-making Community Plan, Guyra
NSW State Government North West
Respect cultural inclusion in curriculum, recognition of different Management Plan & Uralla
Regional Cluster
learning styles, arrest and incarceration rates, Indigenous & minority Community Management Plan
group representation on Council Data sources include: NSW Catchment Management Action Rural and Regional Taskforce
Housing, Health, Community Services, NEDGP, Local Govt. Northern Plans ~ Namoi, Border-Rivers Report (2008)
Gwydir
Region Aboriginal Lands council & Community Housing bodies
Hunter New England Health Service NSW Aboriginal Land Council
Strategic Plan & New England Northern Region Regional
Other measures identified but not defined included development
Divisions of General Practice Economic Development Strategy &
& adoption of new technologies (innovation). Implementation Plan

EXISTING PLANS, PRIORITIES, STRATEGIES

In addition to the 2½ years of work on NESS, the following existing
plans, priorities and strategies have been integrated:

www.ness.wikidot.com NESS is an initiative of

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