Excellence in Public Health Awards - Apply for the Metropolitan Council Award

All metropolitan councils across South Australia are encouraged to nominate one new or ongoing initiative that has had a positive impact on public health in their community.

Award winning councils will receive $3,000 to help further progress public health initiatives for communities.

Councils’ public health initiatives can include:

  • essential public health functions undertaken as council responsibilities under the SA Public Health Act 2011
  • a new project or innovation for health protection, health promotion and disease prevention.

To be successful, a council’s nominations should:

  • show how the project meets local public health needs and priorities
  • demonstrate links to public health planning
  • clearly describe how the project was/is implemented, and how local stakeholders were/are involved
  • highlight project success, and public health benefits for the local community
  • make your council’s case for excellence.

Apply now

For more information on the nominations process, download the Nomination Guide (PDF 8MB).

To apply now, download the Metropolitan Council Application Form (PDF 663KB).

2023 metropolitan winner

City of Onkaparinga: Advance Care Directive peer-led workshop project

The City of Onkaparinga was named the 2023 metropolitan winner for its Advance Care Directive peer-led workshop project. This cross-council, multi-agency model raises understanding of end-of-life care planning, and protects the community from ageism and elder abuse. Its peer-led approach to conversations about life, living, death, and dying aims to empower more individuals to voice their wishes regarding their end-of-life care preferences, to make informed decisions about their future care in their completed Advance Care Directives, and to raise community death literacy.

With its $3,000 prize money, the City of Onkaparinga updated its Advance Care Directive information, and strengthened access to this across the southern metro area. Recent amendments to the Advance Care Directive Act 2013 had to be mirrored in the legally binding Advance Care Directive form and supporting resources. This was updated for community information, and the project’s online training materials were also re-recorded to incorporate the changes. Communication cards were especially developed for the city’s libraries, which are now actively promoting access to this important legal document. The prize money also enabled Onkaparinga to purchase specialised AI qualitative data analysis software for evaluation of the project. This will support future initiatives for the Southern Metro Area.


Left to right: Mayor Moira Were AM (City of Onkaparinga), Chief Public Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, Judith Lowe (City of Onkaparinga).

Further information

For further information about the Excellence in Public Health Awards, please email PublicHealthAct@sa.gov.au or contact Strategic Engagement and Policy on (08) 8226 7100.