Leading Healthy Communities - Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Planning

Local government plays a key role in creating the environment for communities to prosper and enjoy improved health and wellbeing.

Current priorities

We support the work that councils undertake in building, promoting and maintaining healthy communities.

Councils are required to prepare a municipal public health and wellbeing plan every four years (following the general council elections). Council public health and wellbeing plans must have regard to the State public health and wellbeing plan 2023–2027.

We work with the Victorian Government, health promotion agencies and local government to develop and promote a range of advice and resources for health and social planners.

We have also compiled links to the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plans (MPHWPs) developed by each of Victoria’s 79 councils in 2021 – see below for details.

Development of 2025-2029 Municipal public health and wellbeing plans

Following the local government elections in October 2024, the newly elected Council is required to develop a new Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan for the following four years. The Department of Health and MAV have prepared resources to assist councils – see below.

Advice Notes

1. Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Planning 2025–2029 : Advice Note 1 (PDF - 284KB)
2. Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Planning 2025–2029 : Advice Note 2 : Applying for an Exemption from Producing a Standalone Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan (PDF - 227KB)
3. Family Violence and Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Planning - Guidance for Local Government - August 2024 (PDF - 350KB)
4. Tackling Climate Change and its Impacts on Health through Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Planning : Guidance for Local Government, 2020 (PDF - 8.94MB)

Resources

1. Victorian Population Health Survey
2. Local Government areas report on population diversity
3. VicHealth webpage

Background information/context

Analysis of current Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plans

The MAV supports councils in their work to progress the development of healthy, diverse and thriving communities with their key partner agencies.

We have conducted an analysis of the key themes and priorities in the MPHWPs, and produced three resources with the findings. See below for the full report and summary document and a searchable spreadsheet that enables further analysis based on health regions and priority areas.

• MAV MPHWP Analysis - Snapshot (PDF - 265KB)
• Final MAV MPHWP Analysis - Full Report (PDF - 400KB)
• MAV MPHWP Analysis - Summary Spreadsheet (Excel - 73KB)

Current municipal public health and wellbeing plans

• See all Victorian councils’ 2021-2025 health and wellbeing plans.

Past planning cycle action guides and planning tools

• Including public health & wellbeing matters in the council plan or strategic plan
• Leading the way: Councils creating healthier communities
• VicHealth Indicators Survey 2015: Selected Findings (PDF - 3.38MB)
• VicHealth local government action guides.
• VicHealth COVID19 Coronavirus Wellbeing Impact Study

Engage with us

For more information about our Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing policy work, please email: inquiries@mav.asn.au