Main points:
- Two unique City of Cockburn projects shortlisted for final judging at the Institute of Public Administration Australia WA 2022 Achievement Awards
- The City’s Australian first erosion reduction reef trial at C.Y. O’Connor Beach was shortlisted in the Best Practice in Collaboration Between Government and any other Organisation
- The City of Cockburn partnership with the Cockburn Healthy Lifestyle Service (CHLS) at the Cockburn Community Health facility in Success was shortlisted in the Best Practice in Health and Wellbeing category.
Two unique City of Cockburn projects were shortlisted for final judging at the Institute of Public Administration Australia WA 2022 Achievement Awards today.
The City’s Australian first erosion reduction reef trial at C.Y. O’Connor Beach was shortlisted in the Best Practice in Collaboration Between Government and any other Organisation.
The City of Cockburn partnership with the Cockburn Healthy Lifestyle Service (CHLS) at the Cockburn Community Health facility in Success was shortlisted in the Best Practice in Health and Wellbeing category.
CHLS is the only service to coordinate community care by collaborating with a wide range of service specialists to provide free consultations and referrals to free or low-cost services to achieve a healthy weight, healthy eating, improved mental health and increased levels of physical activity.
City of Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett said while the City was a finalist in two very different categories, both recognised unique community-focused programs that set Cockburn apart from other local governments.
“Our City is striving towards best practice in all areas to ensure we provide the kinds of programs, attractions and services that our community has told us is important to them,” Mayor Howlett said.
“Listening to our community means the programs, attractions and services we offer are sustainable because they meet a need that has been demonstrated. It is our vision to make Cockburn the best place to be for our residents.”
The City’s reef project is an example of how collaboration with private enterprise, university and all levels of government can fulfill community expectations for coastal erosion control with minimal impact on the appearance and function of our highly valued beaches.
More than 130 submersible concrete modular bomboras have been craned into place on the ocean floor to help The University of Western Australia, MMA Offshore and the City study how the reef reduces the rate of wave energy causing shoreline erosion at C. Y. O’Connor Beach, especially during winter storm events.
The CHLS offered in partnership with the City of Cockburn at the Cockburn Community health facility in Success, and two predecessor programs first offered in 2011, has influenced a huge turnaround in Cockburn’s overweight and obesity statistics.
The Service’s free or low-cost health programs have helped residents radically reduce overweight and obesity percentages by nearly 10 per cent between 2015 and 2019, to rates on par with WA and regional averages.
The CHLS increased its health and wellbeing programs from eight in 2017 to 30 in 2021.
From July to December 2021, 820 people engaged with the Service with 60.5 per cent losing nearly 3kgs. Clients who presented for at least one review after their initial consultation reported a reduction in depression, anxiety and stress scores of between 37.2 and 39.6 per cent.
Find out more about the wave attenuation
reef project and the Cockburn Healthy Lifestyle
Service on the City’s website.