The Department for Environment and Water

Healthy Parks Healthy People SA

Research has demonstrated the strong connections between contact with nature and human health and wellbeing, including physical and psychological health, and social and cultural wellbeing.

The Department for Environment and Water and the Department for Health and Wellbeing (DHW) have a long-standing relationship around many issues, and a history of successfully collaborating on a number of policy areas of mutual interest.

The aim of this Public Health Partnership is to set out the parameters for collaboration between the health and environment sectors, and provides a basis to work in partnership to build the public value of parks in South Australia, and improve the health and wellbeing of populations through a combination of broad policies, programs and targeted initiatives.

Key outcome

A key outcome of this partnership has been the development and implementation of the Healthy Parks Healthy People SA approach administered through Green Adelaide and Wellbeing SA. Healthy Parks Healthy People SA is a nature-based approach for simultaneously improving population health and environmental outcomes - enabling the environment and health sectors to work more closely together and focus resources towards implementing innovative approaches to health and wellbeing and conservation.

Healthy Parks, Healthy People South Australia Framework

The framework Healthy Parks Healthy People South Australia 2021 - 2026: Making Contact with Nature, Second Nature (PDF 5.7MB) sets out seven focus areas:

  • promoting physical activity in nature
  • mental health benefits of contact with nature
  • connection to Country for Aboriginal health and wellbeing
  • community health and wellbeing in a changing climate
  • nature education and childhood development
  • green infrastructure in urban settings
  • biodiversity, conservation and human health.

Focus areas update