Safe Community Latrobe

The centre of Latrobe City
One of the clear mountain streams in the Gippsland region

Name of the Community: Latrobe
Country: Australia
Number of inhabitants: 70,000
Programme started year: 1992
International Safe Communities Network Membership: Designation year: 1996
Re-designation year: 2006
Info address for the community: www.Latrobe.vic.gov.au
Full reapplication report 2006



The program covers the following safety promotion activities:

For the age group

Children 0-14 years:
Programs focussed on home safety, scalds, burns, traffic (walking school bus, Bike Education), carer child safety checklists, parent and carer road safety classes and sessions.


Churchill Primary School Walking School Bus 2004

Youth 15-24 years:
Sport injury, traffic (learner & novice drivers) violence prevention, a variety of Alcohol & Drug programs (GoodSports, Alcohol Accords, and road safety related programs), occupational safety.

Adults 25-64 years:
Falls, Occupational, Violence Prevention (Public and Family), sports injury, alcohol programs (as above), Road safety programs. Neighbourhood Renewal/Alliance & Watch.

Elderly 65+ years:
Falls prevention (community and residential settings, includes modified Tai Chi and environmental assessments), physical activity programs. Confident Living.

At the following environments:
Home:
Home safety Checklists, Child and older adult Carer home Assessments, Home care safety, Family Violence Prevention, Neighbourhood Alliance. Built Environment development (sustainable, accessible and safe), Safer Design.

Traffic:
Walking School Bus, Infant/Child safety, Novice driver programs, Bike Education and Annual Bike Ed Challenge, Traffic school facility, School curriculum programs including environmental improvements. Road Safety Strategic Plan.


Bike safety

Occupational:
Healthy Organisation Group, Gippsland OH&S Network, Fleet Safety.

School:
Walking School Buses, Bike Education, playground safety, road safety.

Sports:
Sports Injury prevention GoodSports (alcohol management).

Leisure:
Physical Activity promotion, water safety, Bicycle strategy, sports participation.

Violence prevention:
Latrobe Valley Family Violence Prevention Network, Local Alcohol Accords, Crime Prevention, Men’s Self Help Ending Domestics (SHED) Indigenous Men’s SHED.

Suicide prevention:
Gippsland Suicide Prevention Network.

Programs aiming at ”High risk-groups”:
Neighbourhood Alliance (Renewal),
Novice Driver programs, Family Violence programs through network, Alcohol Accords.

Surveillance of injuries:
Latrobe Regional Hospital, Victorian Injury Surveillance at Monash University Accident Research Centre, Clayton.
Numbers per year: 8000 approx
Population base: 70,000 + (being a regional medical referral facility, the capture population is 240,000 people)
Started year: 1991.

Publications:
1. Day,L. C assell, E. McGrath, A. & Ozanne-Smith,J. (Authors.) "Latrobe Valley Better Health Project: Evaluation of the Injury Prevention Program 1992-1996" Monash University Accident Research Centre, Clayton Vic. Australia 1997.
2. Day, Cassell & Lough, Latrobe Safe Communities: Evaluation of a Local Level Injury Prevention Program - 1996-2000 – Report 190, Monash University Accident Research Centre Jan. 2002.
3. Harberts H. La Trobe Shire, Victoria, Australia. Application to become a member of the Safe Community Network. 1995. Report 360.
4. Harberts H. Consolidating communities against violence: Contexts and challenges. Report from the 9th Travelling Seminar. South Africa, Karolinska Institute, Sweden report 1998:8.

Produced information material, pamphlets:

Number: 1.2
Professions: Community Development (Safety & Wellbeing) full-time: yes
Permanent: yes
Part time Traffic Safety Educator (.2)
Organization: Latrobe City
Specific intersectoral leadership group: Community Safety Committee
General public health/health promotion group:

International commitments:
Study visits: Stockholm 1994, South Africa 1998,
Participation in Safe Community conferences: Harstad - Norway, Fort McMurray -Canada, Johannesburg - South Africa, Waitakere - New Zealand, Suwon - Korea, Prague - Czech Republic, Bergen – Norway, Taipai - Taiwan,
Hosting Safe Community Conferences: 5th International Safe Communities Conference 1996
Hosting ”Travelling Seminars”: 1996, 2000,
Australian Safe Communities Foundation, Victorian Safe Communities Network, Community Safety Month, Speaker & Site Visits, Representative of Collaborating Centre to Taiwan, China, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia.

For further information contact:


Henk Harberts
Community Development Officer
Latrobe City Council
PO Box 264, Morwell 3840
141 Commercial Rd, Morwell 3840
Australia
henkha@latrobe.vic.gov.au
Direct: +61 (03) 5128 5634
Mobile: 0407 303 664
Fax: +61 (03) 5128 5672