A Wyndham council push to encourage residents to undertake more physical activity has been recognised by the Heart Foundation.
At the foundation’s local government awards last month, the council was highly commended for its commitment to planning for more open space in the city.
The latest health statistics reveal that 52.5 per cent of Wyndham residents are overweight or obese, while 30 per cent don’t do enough physical activity.
Heart Foundation Victoria chief executive Diana Heggie said Wyndham council had shown a commitment to improving the health and well-being of the community.
“One of Wyndham City’s latest initiatives has been the Saltwater Reserve recreation facility, which includes sports grounds, parks and courts,” she said.
“The council reports that the new facility has seen an increase in formal and informal recreation levels among a broad section of the community.”
Council well-being portfolio holder Bob Fairclough said addressing the complex factors that impacted on community health was a priority for the council.
“[The Healthy Communities Initiative] has had a very positive effect on local community health, through development of community kitchens, vegetable gardening workshops and Heart Foundation walking groups,” he said.
