Local Government

Local government plays a significant role in the delivery of a wide range of environmental health related services. These included a number of statutory services including food safety and investigation of nuisances.

Department of Victorian Communities
The Department of Victorian Communities maintains a list of contact details for all Victorian municipal councils.

Environments for Health
Victorian local government is also at the forefront of public health planning in their communities.

Environmental Health Officer Qualifications
The Public Health & Wellbeing Act 2008 (which commences on 1 January 2010) requires that every municipal council must appoint one or more environmental health officers.

The Act also states that a Council may only appoint as an environmental health officer a person who has the qualifications or qualifications and experience that are declared by the Secretary of the Department of Health as necessary for appointment as an environmental health officer.

Declarations are published in the Victorian Government Gazette. This site will contain all subsequent declarations as they are made and appear in the Government Gazette.

The most recent declaration was made on 19 November 2009.

Gazette 19th November 2009 (167kb, pdf)

Within Victoria both Swinburne University and Latrobe University offer courses that have been declared by the Secretary.

• Swinburne University
• Latrobe University

Population Health Resource Kit
The Community Services & Health Industry Skills Council recently released the Population Health Resource Kit to support the implementation of the Population Health and Indigenous Environment Health qualifications, a part of the Health Training Package (HLT07). The Health Training Package sits in the Vocational Education and Training sector.

Free copies of the Population Health Resource Kit are available through the Community Services & Health Industry Skills Council website.

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