Southern Grampians receives $614,000 for obesity project
29 March 2007
A project to tackle the challenges of obesity and declining levels of activity in Southern Grampians and Glenelg Shires, has received a State Government grant of $614,000.
Acting Health Minister Gavin Jennings has announced the grant to the Challenging Stereotypes – Going For Our Lives project – as part of a $3.6 million for six new community initiatives to increase physical activity and healthy eating for children, families and older Victorians.
The significant funding over a 3 ½ year period, is the result of a submission from three of the region’s key health and community agencies.
Western District Health Service, is the lead agency in the project, in partnership with the Southern Grampians Shire Council and the Southern Grampians and Glenelg Primary Care Partnership.
The “Challenging Stereotypes” Project has been funded for four years. In year one $60,000 has been allocated, a further $178,000 in both years two and three, and $198,000 in the fourth year.
WDHS chief Executive officer Jim Fletcher welcomed the announcement.
He said the project proposed to address obesity prevention in the small townships and on farms in the Southern Grampians Shire, as well as in Hamilton and its surrounding community.
He said the project recognised that in smaller, rural communities, people were often unable to access fresh fruit and vegetables with the same regularity as their metropolitan counterparts. The range of safe physical activity is also more limited, which brings with it a greatest risk of obesity.
Minister Jennings said six new projects will be established throughout the State. As well as WDHS, the Shire of Campaspe, Western Region Health Centre, Cardinia Shire Council, Kingston City Council and Warthaurong Aboriginal Co-operative in North Geelong received funding for obesity prevention projects.
“These projects will be modelled on the successful whole-of-community approaches used in the Colac Be Active, Eat Well project which saw children reduce weight by an average of one kilogram and also record a reduction in waist growth by three centimetres,” Mr Jennings said.
“The same range of anti-obesity initiatives that allowed a community to win the fight against childhood obesity and reduce children’s weight and waistlines will be incorporated into the six new community obesity prevention initiatives.”
The Minister for Children, Mental Health and Aged Care, Lisa Neville, welcomed the initiative as a practical demonstration of cooperation between government departments to deliver ‘Go for your life’ programs for all Victorians.
All the new projects are expected to be ready to begin by the middle of the year. They were chosen from 28 submissions received from Primary Care Partnerships.
The new projects are part of a $5.2m package that includes $1.6 million to continue existing ‘Go for your life’ projects in Colac, Moreland and Geelong.
“The groundbreaking Colac program proved that childhood obesity can be beaten. These new projects will extend these results to other groups in the community,” Mr Jennings said.
“Even fast food outlets have come to the party by altering the types of oils they cook their foods in, which has helped achieve these groundbreaking results.”
The Minister for Children, Mental Health and Aged Care, Lisa Neville, welcomed the initiative as a practical demonstration of cooperation between government departments to deliver ‘Go for your life’ programs for all Victorians.
All the new projects are expected to be ready to begin by the middle of the year. They were chosen from 28 submissions received from Primary Care Partnerships.