enHealth Council

Session Reports

Report of 5th Session of the enHealth Council
12-13 October, Cairns

Opening of Fifth Session of enHealth Council

Administrative Matters

Policy Issues

Guidelines and publications development

Environmental health issues

Other Business

Next meeting

Opening of Fifth Session of enHealth Council

The fifth session of the enHealth Council was held in Cairns on 12-13 October 2000. The following Members were in attendance:

Professor C. Ewan	Chair
Mr O. Ashby	National President, Australian Institute of Environmental Health
Ms J. Bowman	Victorian Department of Human Services
Ms C. Brady	Secretary to Council (Commonwealth Australian Department of Health and Ageing)
Dr K. Buckett	Commonwealth Department of Health & Aged Care
Dr A. Cawsey	Environment Australia (for Mr P. Burnett)
Dr S. Corbett	NSW Department of Health
Mr G. Dorricott	Queensland Health
Mr M. Jackson	WA Department of Health
Dr M. Jacobs	Tasmanian Department of Health & Human Services
Mr C. McCarthy	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Commission (for Mr P. Taylor)
Dr A. Neller	Public Health Association of Australia
Mr P. Prendergast	NZ Ministry of Health
Ms I. Prouse	Deputy Chair, National Indigenous Environmental Health Forum (for Mr C. Jackson)
Mr X. Schobben	Northern Territory Health Services
Ms S. Tuffin	Commonwealth Australian Department of Health and Ageing

Apologies
Mr P. Burnett	Environment Australia
Mr C. Jackson	Chair, National Indigenous Environmental Health Forum
Professor I. Lowe	Australian Consumers’ Association
Mr P. Taylor	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Commission
Mr J. Woollard	Department of Health and Community Care, ACT

Administrative Matters

Minutes of fourth session and Session Report, July 2000

The Minutes and Session Report of the fourth session of Council were endorsed by Council.

Action arising

The status of action arising from the fourth session of Council was noted.

Out of session items and decisions (July-September 2000)

Council noted one out-of-session decision made between July and September:

To publish Integrating Sustainable Development Principles and Environmental Health Practice – Final Report under the enHealth logo.

Council meeting dates for 2001

Council agreed to schedule three meetings next year in March, June and October.

Policy Issues

National Environmental Health Strategy Implementation Plan

a) Non-auditory Health Effects of Noise

NSW Health made a presentation to Council on their progress on the project looking at the non-auditory health effects of noise, commissioned by the Commonwealth Australian Department of Health and Ageing. Council discussed the first draft of the report on the non-auditory health effects of noise provided by NSW Health.

b) Sustainable Development

Council discussed the Sustainable Development Steering Committee’s project plan for the development of an information kit on principles and practice of sustainable development and environmental health.

Council suggested that the project plan be revised to include a topic on waste management.

c) Economic evaluation

Council noted the status of activities taken towards the development of a handbook for environmental health economic evaluation. Queensland Health has agreed to manage the economic evaluation project and a small steering committee for the project is being formed.

Indigenous Environmental Health

a) National Indigenous Environmental Health Forum

Council noted:

the minutes of the second meeting of the National Indigenous Environmental Health Forum;
the report of the Forum’s consideration of the recommendations from the first two national workshops on Indigenous environmental health; and
the draft program for the Indigenous Environmental Health Conference being held in Alice Springs on 14-16 November.

Council agreed to support Forum Members in their jurisdictions in the production of presentations for the Indigenous Environmental Health Conference.

c) Indigenous Environmental Health Mapping Exercise

At their last meeting, Council endorsed a project to map the key agencies and organisations that manage, have an active role or fund Indigenous environmental health around Australia. Council noted the formation of a Steering Committee for this project and discussed their project brief. Council asked the Steering Committee to more clearly define the scope of environmental health activities to be captured by this project.

enHealth Council Task Groups

a) Research Task Group

Council endorsed the Research Task Group’s framework for setting environmental health research priorities. In addition, Council agreed to pursue the possibility of obtaining support from the National Health and Medical Research Council for the establishment of an environmental health research institute. The Chair of Council provided a report to Members on her preliminary discussions with the National Health and Medical Research Council on this issue.

b) Information Task Group

Council noted the status of activities being progressed by the Information Task Group illustrated by a ‘mud map’ of the various components leading to the development of an information system for environmental health data and a review of existing frameworks for environmental health indicators.

c) Workforce Task Group

At their previous meeting, Council agreed in principle to dissolve the enHealth Council Workforce Task Group in favour of a reconvened group, under the auspices of the Australian Institute of Environmental Health, as the first stage in addressing workforce issues under the National Environmental Health Strategy Implementation Plan.

Council agreed to provide a letter to the Australian Institute of Environmental Health Board proposing Terms of Reference and membership for the reconvened Task Group. Council will maintain a watching brief across issues relating to the broader environmental health workforce.

Guidelines and Publications Development

Health Impact Assessment Series

Council endorsed the commissioning of the production of the Health Impact Assessment Series, commencing with intensive animal husbandry. The template for the series, produced by the Research Task Group, was also endorsed.

Health Impact Assessment Implementation Guidelines

Completion of the public consultation process for the draft Health Impact Assessment Implementation Guidelines was noted. Council agreed that the Editorial Group, together with a consultant, should revise the draft document taking account of the comments received during the consultation process. The draft Guidelines will be released for a further round of targeted consultation.

Environmental Health Risk Assessment

Members noted that an editorial panel had commenced revision of the draft Environmental Health Risk Assessment document based on comments received during the public consultation process. Discussions are continuing with Standards Australia, Environment Australia and the National Environment Protection Council regarding the comments they have raised. When the document is finalised and endorsed by enHealth Council, it will be presented to the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council through the National Public Health Partnership Group.

Environmental Health: Emergency Management Guidelines

Council noted the comments received on the draft Emergency Management Guidelines during the consultation process and considered options for finalising the Guidelines. Council endorsed the development of a practical manual for Environmental Health Officers in collaboration with Emergency Management Australia/Australian Emergency Management Institute.

Asbestos in Soil

A report on the status of the Western Australian lead project to develop health based investigation levels of asbestos fibres in soil was provided. Members noted that the Steering Group for this project had met recently for the first time and are developing a brief for the project.

Indoor Air Quality in the Home

Council received the revised draft document on indoor air quality in the home. Members agreed that the title of the document should revert to the previous title of ‘Healthy Homes’ and some of the technical terms that appeared in the document should be explained to enhance its readability. Otherwise, the draft document was endorsed for a further round of targeted consultation.

Environmental Health Issues

enHealth Council, National Health and Medical Research Council and National Environment Protection Council

A meeting between the three national bodies, enHealth Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the National Environment Protection Council, was convened recently to discuss roles and responsibilities and identify opportunities for collaboration on national environment and health issues of importance and overlap. The outcomes of that meeting were noted by Members.

Council endorsed the signing of a formal letter of agreement between enHealth Council Secretariat and the National Environment Protection Council Service Corporation. Council also accepted the invitation to nominate an enHealth Council representative to join the National Environment Protection Council Unfunded Working Group on Contaminated Sites.

Air Ventilation Standard (AS1668.2)

The scheduling of a meeting between representatives of enHealth Council and the Australian Building Codes Board to discuss health sector concerns on the draft Australian Standard for Air Ventilation was noted.

Revision of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and Draft Framework for Drinking Water Quality Management

Council discussed the progress on the revision of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and the Report on Desktop Trials under the draft Framework for Drinking Water Quality Management. The revision of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and the development of Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality Management is being coordinated by the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand.

Rural and Remote Communities Potable Water Project

Council noted the membership of the Steering Committee overseeing the conduct of the contract with the Bureau of Rural Sciences to conduct an inventory of rural and remote water quality and the progress to date on the project.

National Competition Policy Review of Radiation Protection Legislation

Members agreed to the proposal from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency for Council to be involved in the Review of Radiation Protection Legislation through Directors of Environmental Health.

Other Business

National Public Health Expenditure Project

Council considered the public health expenditure definitions provided by the National Public Health Expenditure Project and referred them to the Information Task Group and the Economic Evaluation Steering Group for information.

ACT Code of Practice for Cooling Towers and Warm Water Storage Systems

Members noted the recent release of the document, ACT Cooling Towers and Warm Water Storage Systems Code of Practice 2000, by the ACT Department of Health and Community Care.

Queensland Health draft document, Cyanobacteria in Recreational and Drinking Waters

Council considered whether the draft document produced by Queensland Health on Cyanobacteria in Recreational and Drinking Water could form the basis of a national document. Council resolved that the need for a national document required further consideration and consultation with the National Health and Medical Research Council in the context of their recreational and drinking water guidelines.

Sleeping Space Accomodation and Human Health

Members discussed sleeping space provisions in State and Territory public health legislation and the difficulty with devising a more appropriate standard. Members agreed that while this was not currently a priority issue for Council, jurisdictions may wish to collaborate on this issue independently of Council.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the enHealth Council will be held in March 2001 (date to be confirmed).