The Coffs Harbour 'Our Living City Settlement Strategy' Health Impact Assessment

Journal Article · Fri Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Environmental Impact Assessment Review

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2010.02.004· OSTI ID:21499702

Tugwell, Andrew ^[1]; Johnson, Pamela ^[2]

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1. BC Mental Health and Addiction Service, Vancouver (Canada)
2. North Coast Area Health Service, NSW (Australia)

Aim: The short report reviews an experience of conducting a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in the local government context. The aim of this review was to identify if carrying out an HIA would result in recommendations that could influence council planning and help establish ongoing working relationships between North Coast Area Health Service (NCAHS) staff and the Coffs Harbour City Council. Methods: A process and impact evaluation was conducted on the Coffs Harbour 'Our Living City Settlement Strategy' HIA, which focused on the Coffs Harbour City Council's strategic planning document. Information gained through the evaluation was themed and the findings were reviewed against published information on HIA experience. Main findings: HIA has reported benefits for both the Coffs Harbour City Council and NCAHS as it provides a tool to address many of the issues facing these organisations. Local council has increasing responsibilities including the environment, housing and urban planning, which all have health implications. HIA has been demonstrated as an effective tool for NCAHS staff and the Coffs Harbour City Council to engage and build relationships, increase the understanding of all planning aspects related to health, and most importantly utilise evidence to inform decision making. Conclusion: HIA should be adopted as a key tool to facilitate effective working partnerships between organisations. Improved engagement, partnerships and use of evidence to produce shared outcomes can result from utilising this tool.

• OSTI ID: 21499702
• Journal Information: Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Vol. 31, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.eiar.2010.02.004; PII: S0195-9255(10)00038-7; Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0195-9255
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DECISION MAKING
ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
EVALUATION
HARBORS
HEALTH HAZARDS
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
PLANNING
PUBLIC HEALTH
PUBLIC POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS
URBAN AREAS
DOCUMENT TYPES
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
HAZARDS