enHealth Council - Strategy & Implementation Plan

National Environmental Health Strategy

National Environmental Health Strategy (1999) [PDF, 1.65mb] [Located on Department of Health and Ageing website]

Environmental health is the cornerstone of public health. During this century it has achieved massive improvements in quality of life and longevity.

Unfortunately, as society becomes increasingly urbanised, more populous and more complex the ability of the environment to sustain human life is threatened. These pressures are creating new forms of Environmental Health hazards and may lead to the re-emergence of old ones.

To address these issues, Environmental Health practitioners across all jurisdictions and sectors must work together. The National Environmental Health Strategy aims to achieve this by providing a framework to bring the wide variety of stakeholders together across the range of issues that encompass environmental health.

The National Environmental Health Strategy also introduces the enHealth Council. The Council is responsible for implementing the Strategy and providing national Environmental Health leadership.

The enHealth Council will also set priorities and coordinate national policies and programs, further strengthening Australia’s capacity to meet current and emerging environmental health challenges. It is also in an excellent position to provide a pivotal link in environment and health between Australia and the rest of the world, particularly the Asia-Pacific region.