Jeremy Rockliff,Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing
Tasmania's first wellbeing strategy to promote and support good health has made great progress, and now we will build on its strengths and successes as we develop our next Healthy Tasmania Five Year Strategic Plan.
Our first Healthy Tasmania plan was launched in 2016, under which we took action across a range of areas and there are many inspiring success stories that have led to positive health outcomes for Tasmanians in a number of communities.
We invested $5.6 million in community-led action via grant programs that delivered 101 projects across the State to improve health and wellbeing, including:
- The Student Health Initiative supported children in 68 schools to make healthy, safe and active choices;
- The School Canteen Accreditation Program doubled the levels of participation and accreditation, increasing health food options for children;
- More than 2,000 people participated in the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Health Parks, Health People Program;
- The Healthy Kids toolkit provided access to reliable and easy to understand health information;
- New laws and regulations introduced around the sale, use and display of tobacco are helping to decrease the rate of tobacco smoking, including reducing the number of young people starting smoking; and
- Small grants for the Neighbour Day, Healthy Living Community Challenges enabled 120 projects to support stronger, better connected and more active communities.
There are some promising results and trends overall with more Tasmanians becoming smoke free, increases in physical activity rates, and people eating more vegetables and fruit, as well as a greater emphasis on mental health and wellbeing within communities.
However, we know continuing action is needed as most Tasmanians still don't eat the recommended amounts of vegetables and fruits, almost one in two Tasmanians over 18 don't do enough physical activity and much more needs to be done to continue reducing the smoking rate.
Over the next five years, our 2021-2026 Healthy Tasmania plan will focus on initiatives to support Tasmanians and their community, to be connected, nurture positive mental health and wellbeing, limit harmful alcohol use, be smoke-free, eat well and live more active lives.
With the added issue of managing COVID-19 and the impacts this has had on people's health, mental health and wellbeing, we will continue to create the environments, settings and services that support Tasmanians to live longer and healthier lives.
Healthy Tasmania will also link with a range of strategic priorities of the Tasmanian Government, including recommendations from PESRAC, Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy, Our Healthcare Future, and Rethink Mental Health 2020.
We want all Tasmanians to live healthier and longer lives – it's better for themselves, the community and the economy, which is why we are firmly focused on delivering the next Healthy Tasmania Five Year Strategic Plan to secure Tasmania's future.
