VLGP modulesVicHealth Local Government Partnership

This module enables councils to build capacity and capability in engaging with and empowering children and young people to share their experiences to create a healthier future. The module provides practical ways to engage and co-design with children and young people in council activities. 

Impact Stream: 

Better solutions shaped by children and young people.

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This module incorporates a range of activities, processes, and changes that councils can make to increase children and young people’s physical activity in the community. This includes activities on designing neighbourhoods that promote physical activity and running programs that increase participation by children and young people who face greater barriers. 

Impact Streams: 

• Increasing active travel opportunities to and from school (previously known as Walk to School)
• Including walking and bike riding in council strategies  
• Creating opportunities for all Victorians to be active  
• Including gender equity in council sport and recreation policy 
• Empowering and enabling women to get active through local promotion of This Girl Can – Victoria 

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This module enables councils to deliver benefits to and reduce barriers for several groups and communities who usually face barriers to participation as well as designing programs and policies that promote mental wellbeing. 

Impact Streams: 

• Co-designing with young people for better community wellbeing 
• Building proud and inclusive communities 
• Addressing social determinants of mental wellbeing 

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This module will strengthen the capacity of councils to create local and healthy food systems and give children and young people opportunities to actively engage in the issues and solutions. 

Impact Streams: 

• Creating thriving local food systems 
• Embedding healthy food and drink options in council owned and operated places 
• Using healthy rewards and sponsorships in community activities 
• Enabling healthy partnerships 

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This module will strengthen the capacity of local councils to increase smokefree environments in their communities and see improvements across a broad range of health outcomes.  

Impact Stream: 

Adopting tobacco control actions to protect children and young people 

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This module will strengthen the capacity of local councils to prevent and minimise alcohol-related harm, creating safer and healthier communities in their municipalities. This module is to be used in conjunction with ‘The Art of Community Alcohol Management: What local government can do to prevent and minimise alcohol-related harm’.

Impact Stream:

Adopting alcohol harm prevention actions to protect children and young people

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This module will support councils to increase opportunities to engage children and young people in creative activities that also promote their health and wellbeing.

Impact Streams:

• Increasing equity in creative strategies
• Embracing opportunities for children to inform creative programs
• Improving opportunities for young people to lead creative programs 

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The VicHealth local government health promotion modules are having a First 2,000 Days update! Councils can create healthy communities for children in their first years of life with a suite of ‘first 2,000 days’ focused implementation actions and guidance. The new and updated actions will provide ideas, recommended resources and information to amplify the needs and priorities of young children and their families through council policy, facilities and services. 

As part of this update, we have included ‘families’ as a third group in some of the impact stream and minimum deliverables. This is in recognition of the need to include parents and other caregivers as part of these actions.   

The 35 new and 3 updated actions across the core and stretch modules will be available in December 2022.

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Introduction and context – our climate, our health

• The intersection of climate change and health promotion 
• Children and young people
• The role and responsibilities of local governments
• Opportunities for local government to act

Climate change considerations for councils undertaking the VLGP core modules

• Building Active Communities
• Building Better Food Systems for Healthier Communities
• Connected and Supportive Communities

Local Government Case Studies 

• Case Study 1: Integrating climate change into municipal public health and wellbeing planning in the Greater Dandenong City Council and Mornington Peninsula Shire Council
• Case Study 2: ’UV-smart Cool Playgrounds’ in Cumberland City Council: Piloting climate resilient playspaces to support health and wellbeing during hot weather
• Case Study 3: Building capacity and collaborative action for climate resilience in the City of Darebin
• Case Study 4: Enhancing liveability and active transport to school through a street tree planting program in Maroondah
• Case Study 5: Warrnambool City Councils’ Climate Action Grants: Supporting school-based action on climate change and health
  
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Foundational actions 

• Research and data, and building internal awareness 
• Community awareness, promotion and capacity building

Early areas for action 

• Investment and divestment 
• Procurement 
• Council-owned or managed property 
• Healthy partnerships, sponsorships and grants

Longer term action 

• Local laws and enforcement 
• Planning 
• State and federal advocacy 
• Alternative economic models
  
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