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Name of the
Community: Illawarra Safe Communities Program
Country: Australia
Number of inhabitants: 252,000 (Wollongong, Shellharbour & Kiama local gov.
areas)
Programme started year: 1992
International Safe Communities Network Membership: Designation year: 1994
Info address on www for the Programme:
http://www.healthycitiesill.org.au
The programme covers the following safety promotion activities:
"Cycle +
Snag" - Bicycle maintenance
For the age group
Children 0-14 years:
Information is available to community members and professionals on a broad range of issues
such as; bicycle safety, general home safety, general road safety, child restraint issues,
safety house design guidelines, pedestrian issues, dog bite prevention, playground safety
and domestic violence. Child safety presentations for Child Care students and community
groups. National Kidsafe Week promotions focus on a number of child safety issues that are
especially relevant to the region. Participation in safety expos, promotion of child
restraint fitting stations, support and promotion of the Illawarra Road Safety park.
Involvement in Safe Street Signage Project.
Youth 15-24 years:
Presentations and information are available to the community on general road safety issues
such as; drink-driving, bicycle helmets and bicycle maintenance. Promotions are in the
form of activities and competitions with relevant prizes. Activities are also held by the
Illawarra Road Safety Group (resourced by the ISCP) - bicycle week activities; "cycle
and snag", celebrity bicycle challenge, bicycle helmet campaign and pedestrian
awareness and teenager "home safely". Young mothers: general home safety
products and information. Students access a wide variety of information for secondary and
tertiary studies.
Adults 25-64 years:
Involvement in Suicide Prevention Task Force. Resources available for community
presentations on personal safety in the home, safety on the road, the effects of drugs and
medications, involvement with the Safe Communities Action Team, child restraint
information, local child restraint fitting stations.
Elderly 65+ years:
Home safety displays, home modifications pedestrian safety, Falls Prevention Project
(working party representation), safe house design guidelines, support for safety
activities in Seniors Week.
At the following environments:
Home:
Fire safety surveys, Safe as houses survey (how much will people spend on a smoke
detector), subsidised smoke detector campaign, child safety displays- free literature and
products, home design, falls prevention for the elderly, home safety audits, videos
available for loan.
Traffic: The Illawarra Road Safety Group, bicycle helmet and general safety product
promotions and competitions. Pedestrian and road sign awareness, support and promotion of
the Illawarra Road Safety Park. Involved with the RTA/Police RAID campaign: Remove Alcohol
Impaired Drivers. Safe-kids-in-cabs campaign, child restraint research project, child
restraint checking days.
Occupational:
Literature available, child restraint seminars for retailers and heath workers.
School:
Playground Safety Network member, support of bicycle education and helmet wearing,
availability of videos and other resources.
Sports:
Literature available e.g. sports first aid.
Leisure:
Literature available e.g. water safety, subsidised bicycle helmet campaign, drink safe
nights, playground safety design seminars.
Other:
Information and presentations available on dog bite issues, farm safety and health related
safety issues. Provision in campaigns and promotions for the non-English speaking
background community
Kidsafe Week
Display at shopping centre
Senior Project Officer - Katherine Van Weedernburg
Other involvement
with the community
- Annual Safe Communities
awards
- Work experience for
secondary school student
- Work experience
placements for Tertiary students
- Talks to community
groups on various topics, by request.
Violence prevention:
Gun control issues.
Suicide prevention:
Involvement with the Illawarra Suicide Prevention Task Force, gun control issues.
Programs aiming at "High risk-groups":
Falls prevention program for seniors, Child Injury Prevention, Road Safety promotion
Surveillance
of injuries:
Information available for the Illawarra region is only in the form of Hospital admission
data, covering the 5 local government areas (Data, 1994)
Numbers per year: 6,500
Population base: 330,000
Started year:
Publications: (Scientific):
"Making
the Illawarra a Safer Community, 1993;
"Evaluation
of Illawarra Safe Communities Project", 1993;
"Healthy
Cities and Safe Communities, two models become one", 1994 conference paper;
"The
Illawarra Safe Communities Program: some questions answered", 1994;
"An
evaluation of the Illawarra Safe Communities Program", 1995;
"Safe
Communities and the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority - a partnership in injury
prevention. (conference paper 1996);
"Working
in Partnership - Healthy Cities Illawarra and the Illawarra Safe Communities
Program", in Healthy Cities 10 years on, 1997, edited by Dr Pat Mowbray;
- "Illawarra Safe
Communities Program (evaluation for the Minister for Roads, 1998).
Produced information material, pamphlets:
- "Stop-a-bite"
pamphlet - dog bite issues;
- "Why does daddy do
it?" - domestic violence;
- "Making the
Illawarra a Safe Community", history of the ISCP
Healthy Cities Illawarr- pamphlet;
- Child Restraint Fitting
Stations - pamphlet
Staff
Number: 3
Professions:
part-time:
Wendy Cook-Burrows
Katherine van Weerdenburg
Melinda Griffiths
Permanent:
Temporary: all staff are temporary
Organization: the Illawarra Area Health Service / Healthy Cities Illawarra
Specific intersectoral leadership group: Healthy Cities Illawarra
General public health/health promotion group: -The Healthy Cities Illawarra Child
Injury
Prevention Task Force
- the Illawarra Road Safety Group
International commitments:
Study visits: hosted Churchil Fellowship recipients from Ireland and Scotland
Participation in Safe Community conferences: 1994 & 1996
Hosting Safe Community Conferences:
Hosting "Travelling Seminars": Involved with the 8th WHO Travelling
Seminar
Other:
Attendance at the 3rd International Conference on Injury Prevention and Control
Have hosted public health delegates from Thailand and China
For further
information contact:
Wendy Cook-Burrows - Project Officer
Illawarra Safe Communities Program
63 Auburn Street
2500 Wollongong
Australia
Phone : +61 2
42 265000
Fax: +61 2 42 265339
 manager@healthycitiesill.org.au
Internet: http://www.healthycitiesill.org.au
Copyright © 1999-2000 Dept. of Public Health Sciences.
Updated by Moa
Sundström, 2002-10-29 14:38.
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