Notices from
mini-travelling Seminar visiting three already accredited Safe Communities! (City of
Melbourne, City of Hume and City of Latrobe) and two communities seeking accreditation.
Following the WHO Safe Communities International Symposium (http://www.ki.se/phs/wcc-csp/news/000404b.html)
in Melbourne 3-4 April, 2000 and the accreditation of City of Melbourne as a Safe
Community (http://www.ki.se/phs/wcc-csp/news/000404.html)
on the 4th of April, 2000 a mini-travelling seminar was organised.
It started with a City Safety Initiatives Tour of City of Melbourne (http://www.ki.se/phs/wcc-csp/safecom/melbourne.html).
The program included site visits to:
- Safe City Car Parks
- Safe City Taxi Ranks
- Melbourne City Licensees Accord Members
- Precinct Revitalisation Program and Laneways Project
- Neighbourhood Safety Officers
- Safety Centre, Royal Children’s Hospital (Picture 1-3)
Affiliate Safe Community Support Centre (http://www.ki.se/phs/wcc-csp/safecom/melbourne_rch.html)
- Mobile Police Facility
- Safe City Cameras Program
- Drugs Action Plan
Picture 1. Mary Beech, Safety Centre, Royal Children’s Hospital in
Melbourne, presenting Safety displays to the travelling seminar participants.
Picture 2. The Victorian travelling seminar participants (In the Front:
Sandra Reuben from Waimakariri, New Zealand-Safe Community No 47 in the World) at the
Safety Centre, Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.
Picture 3. Some of the Staff of the Safety Centre, Royal Children’s
Hospital in Melbourne- an Affiliate Safe Community Support Centre (No 4 in the World).
From left to right: Barbara Minuzzo, Jennifer Brown, Mary Beech and
Elizabeth Logan.
City of Hume
The Safe Living Program has been operating since 1990, when the former
Shire of Bulla implemented a community based program aimed at preventing injuries from all
causes to people of all ages within the municipality. WHO Safe Community accreditation was
bestowed on the Hume City Council in February 1996 (http://www.ki.se/phs/wcc-csp/safecom/humecity.html).
The City’s commitment came to fruition the following year when the Safe Living
Program was incorporated into the Municipal Health Plan 1997-2000 and the Health Services
Competitive Tendering Specifications. This marked not only further funding but also
importantly the incorporation of the Program into the Council’s core business for the
first time.
The Mayor of City of Hume (Picture 4) introduced the Safe Community
program to the interested participants of the travelling seminar (Picture 5). After
introducing the Hume Community Safety plan the presenters dwelled upon the concept of the
integrated approach to Health, Safety & Crime Prevention. After that followed
discussions between individuals over Morning Tea. In Picture 6 you find the Hume Safe
Cities Taskforce and in Picture 7 some staff directly involved with safety programs in
front of the Safe Community Flag.
Picture 4. Mayor of City of Hume presenting the strong support of
community safety.
Picture 5. The participants of the Victorian Travelling Seminar listening
to presentations in Hume City.
Picture 6. The Hume Safe Cities Taskforce. Cherryl Wollard, HR Manager
Autoliv; Peter Cullinan, Centrelink Regional Manager; Sue Mahoney, Kangan Batman TAFE
General Manager; Peter Driver, Chief Superintendent Vic Police; Dot White, Cr Hume City
Council; Frank Dixon, Director, Strategy & Organisation Development, Hume City and
Darrell Treloar, Chief Executive Officer, Hume City.
Picture 7. Some staff directly involved in the safety program of City of
Hume. David Button, Maureen Sweetten, Lynne Galanti, Rose Barletta & Frank Dixon.
The participant’s left City of Hume impressed of the development of
safety issues from more or less a separate project to an integral part of City of Humes
planning process. The openness to international and national participants was again
proved.
Rural City of Wangaratta
Picture 8. The Art Gallery of Wangaratta – locus for the Victorian
Travelling Seminar visit to Rural City of Wangaratta.
Picture 9 & 10 . Participants of the Victorian Travelling Seminar
discussing safety in Wangaratta and maybe how to seek accreditation in the future for
their communities, Lyn Wilson (Warrnambool City) together with Helen Patastrakis
(Frankston City) and with Dale Hansen (Mackay/Whitsunday Municipalities, Queensland).
The City of Wangaratta is situated 2 ½ hours drive to the north east of
Melbourne and has a population in excess of 26,000, about 18,000 of whom are in urban
Wangaratta. One of the biggest business in the region is Brown Brothers Winery (Picture
11) with 270 employees, but Bruck Textiles employ some 500 people and Bluegum Technology
more than 600.
Picture 11. Participants of the Victorian Travelling Seminar enjoyed the
Wine testing at Brown Brothers Winery – a major employer in the Rural City of
Wangaratta.
The Safer Communities Program was initiated in mid 1997 with a Forum on
safety at the Centre for Adult and Community Education. With funding from VicHealth the
focus has been child poisoning, bicycling injuries (This program was introduced by Adele
Davies and Robert Allen) and intracranial injuries since 1998. Other areas that has come
into focus includes lighting, parks, alcohol and particular traffic issues. Recently has
started a development program for geographically identifying injuries through GIS system.
"This visit marks the first step by the Rural City of Wangaratta
towards WHO Safe Community accreditation." says Mayor Dinning of Wangaratta (Picture
12) at his opening speech.
Picture 12. Ross Cairns, Environmental Health Officer in Wangaratta and Cr
Geoff Dinning, Mayor of Wangaratta in front of Aboriginal Olympian Cathy Freeman at the
Victorian Travelling Seminar visit to the Art Gallery of Wangaratta.
The participants of the Travelling seminar enjoyed a barbecue lunch in the
shade of the trees outside the Art Gallery. In picture 13 we enjoyed the company of Mayor
Dinning of Wangaratta, Adele Davies, the Safe Community Coordinator of Wangaratta and Ms
Carmen Lee, The Coordinator of the Victorian Safe Communities’ Network.
City of Greater Dandenong
The City of Greater Dandenong is Melbourne’s 2nd City.
Located to the southeast of Melbourne, it is one of the most important retail and
manufacturing centres in Victoria, with a population of approximately 134,000 residents.
Having auspiced a pilot Safer Communities project initiated in 1992, the
City of Greater Dandenong has improved on the original concept of forming partnerships and
developing strategies to address community safety issues. Now there is a Community Safety
Committee to take a comprehensive strategic approach to community safety and safety is
incorporated as one of ten key commitments in its Corporate Plan.
The Safe Shop concept (Picture 14) has been successfully initiated and
developed within this City to make it safer for those attending the retail areas.
As an illustration to the striking multi-cultural mix of citizens (85%
non-English speaking origin) a group of Tamil young dancers (Picture 15 & 16)
entertained the Victorian Travelling Seminar participants.
Picture 15 & 16. A group of Tamil dancers entertaining the Victorian
Travelling Seminar participants in their visit to City of Greater Dandenong.
The Community Safety Coordinator Jan Ryan is hoping that her Community
will seek WHO Safe Community accreditation in the future. In picture 17 she is
"surrounded" by other stakeholders in safety at City of Greater Dandenong –
the s.c. Greater Dandenong Community Safety Committee.
Picture 17. Greater Dandenong Community Safety Committee. From left to
right: Chris Phillips CFA; Cr Angela Long, Mayor; Inspector Jonn Heynes; Jan Ryan
COGD;Warwick Heine,CEO;Sandra George & Naim Melham.
For more information contact: janryan@cgd.vic.gov.au
City of Latrobe (former La Trobe Shire)
City of Latrobe is located 2 hours drive east of Melbourne and was
accredited as a WHO Safe Community in February 1996 (http://www.ki.se/phs/wcc-csp/safecom/latrobe.html).
Within the boundaries of Latrobe is a network of major towns – Moe, Morwell,
Traralgon and Churchill plus a number of smaller centres with altogether over 70,000
people – and constitutes a regional centre for Gippsland.
Latrobe valley has long been associated with power generation (Picture
18). This industry has been a major driver of economic development. Gippsland is also one
of Australia’s best agricultural region.
Picture 18. Power generation establishments in Latrobe valley.
Picture 19. Participants of the Victorian Travelling Seminar standing in
front of road-crossing installations.
The La Trobe Safe Communities program commenced as a community based
injury prevention strategy funded by VicHealth and evaluated by Monash University Accident
Research Centre (http://www.ki.se/phs/wcc-csp/safecom/monash.html).
Picture 20. Logo of La Trobe Safe Community program.
Significant injury reduction (http://www.ki.se/phs/safecom/thatwork/start.htm)
and other successes have led to the program being formally integrated in local government.
A Community Advisory Committee provides cross-sectoral advice and recommendations to
Latrobe in relation to the development, implementation and maintenance of effective
community safety strategies designed to minimise hazards and conditions which lead to harm
or fear of harm. In picture 21 you will find members of the Advisory Committee as well as
others.
Picture 21. Important persons for the community safety development in
Latrobe. Sue Kearney –Good Sports, Lyndall Horton-James – Small Business Safety,
Debbie Mitchell (Advisory Committee), Henk Harberts (The Coordinator) and Penny Holloway,
CEO La Trobe City.
The participants had the opportunity to listen to Cr Tony Hanning, Mayor
of City of Latrobe, Penny Holloway, CEO and Henk Harberts who described the development of
the community safety promotion work during the years. Lyndall Horton-James described a new
approach to safety made by the business community and Sue Kearney the development of the
S.C. Good Sports programs with a broad approach to sports safety.
Finally Professor Leif Svanstrom expressed the gratitude of the WHO CC on
Community Safety Promotion for the efforts done during the years by Shire of La Trobe to
share the experiences with the rest of Australia and the World. He also expressed his
appreciation of the generosity of Henk Harberts who has always participated in the
unselfish development of this important worldwide movement.
For more information contact: Henkha@latrobe.vic.gov.au
A final word of appreciation
The participants of this travelling seminar in Victoria like to
express their gratitude to all municipalities for hosting us so generously. We are deeply
indebted to the work done by all organisers at all levels and especially to
Ms Carmen Lee
At the Accident Research Centre of Monash University
Any further enquires on the Safe Community development in Victoria,
Australia
Can be made to
Carmen.lee@general.monash.edu.au
And to
Henkha@latrobe.vic.gov.au
Rapporteur and photos: Leif
Svanström
Copyright © 1999-2000 Dept. of Public Health Sciences.
