Previous winners of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing - Excellence in Public Health Awards

2022 Metropolitan winner

City of Port Adelaide Enfield for Food Security - COVID Recovery - Supporting people on low income. This project is part of the City of Port Adelaide and Enfield’s COVID Recovery Program. It was set up to ensure that residents on low and no income can safely access healthy food locally, to feed themselves and their families, reflecting council and community commitment to building local food security. Single women and their families, as well as people at risk through COVID, social disadvantage and isolation, are its chief beneficiaries.

Left to right: Janet Sutherland Jan Angelo and Vanessa Gaston-Gardner (City of Port Adelaide Enfield), Chief Public Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier,and the Minister for Health and Wellbeing.

2022 Regional winner

The Naracoorte Lucindale Council for its Naracoorte Lucindale Wellbeing Program. Established by Naracoorte Lucindale Council in partnership with Wellbeing SA, the program supported community resilience and wellbeing in response to COVID-19. It demonstrates the value of local and state government partnership and council leadership that extends well beyond roads, rates and rubbish.


Left to right: Trevor Smart CEO, Cr Monique Crossling, Mayor Erika Vickery OAM (Naracoorte Lucindale Council), Chief Public Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, and the Minister for Health and Wellbeing.

2022 highly commended councils

The highly commended councils for the 2022 Excellence in Public Health Awards were:

  • The City of Unley for the Design-athon School Competition
  • The City of Tea Tree Gully for Compassionate Communities
  • Yorke Peninsula Council for the Community Nutrition and Wellbeing Partnership.


Left to right: Mayor Darren Braund (Yorke Peninsula Council), Laura De Bono (City of Unley), Carly Didcote and Carla Leversedge (City of Tea Tree Gully), Chief Public Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, and the Minister for Health and Wellbeing.

2021 award winners and highly commended councils

Metropolitan Award Winner — The City of Salisbury for From Big Things Positive Things Grow – Adaptive Program Delivery in a Changing World.

This program is a multi-faceted initiative of the City of Salisbury’s Home and Community Services (SHCS) Program. The council worked with affected communities to design and repurpose programs and their delivery in light of COVID-19 restrictions.

Regional Award Winner — The Southern and Hills Local Government Association for Community Wellbeing Indicators for SA Local Government.

This tool for councils can track public health issues that are important to local communities, and ensure that planning, policies and interventions by local government are evidence-based, and data-informed.

Highly commended councils for 2021

The highly commended councils for the 2021 Excellence in Public Health Awards were:

  • City of Burnside – The Shed Programs
  • Wudinna District Council
    • Game On Wudinna! Eyre Peninsula Regional Games
    • Wudinna Apex Park – Integrated Recreation and Sports Activity Zone

The winners of the 2020 Minister for Health and Wellbeing — Excellence in Public Health Awards have been announced.

The Awards are held annually and celebrate outstanding contributions to public health by local councils. Council submissions showcase the essential, often unseen roles of councils in supporting community health and wellbeing through public health action. 

2020 award winners and highly commended councils

Regional winner — District Council of Orroroo Carrieton for Despite the Dust Community Muster

Despite the Dust Community Muster was championed by the District Council of Orroroo Carrieton in response to the public health challenges of the mid-2019 drought to foster community connectedness and pride, and provided immediate social and practical support to isolated farming families, regional tourism and local businesses.
The DC Orroroo Carrieton Award submission:

  • demonstrated strong alignment between local and state public health priorities
  • reported outstanding levels of participation from local business community, local residents and the wider region – with isolated farming families reached
  • showcased a commitment to building volunteer leadership and capacity
  • achieved local economic benefit with reported increase in tourism visitations, significant benefit for local business and in-kind donations supporting struggling farmers.

Metropolitan winner — City of Charles Sturt for St Clair Immunisation Clinic

The St Clair Immunisation Clinic established by the City of Charles Sturt contributes to community wellbeing by sustaining and improving public and environmental health protection and disease prevention. This initiative showcases the council’s passion in ensuring ease of access and equity and overall excellence in immunisation services to improve child and adult survival. The St Clair Immunisation Clinic focuses on:

  • quality and timely health protection and disease prevention
  • providing a safe, inclusive and comfortable place for school and community-based immunisation
  • remaining open for 50 weeks of the year
  • providing vaccination to anyone regardless of their place of residence
  • provision of a customer focused service model to provide opportunities for community volunteers.

Highly commended councils in 2020

The highly commended councils for the 2020 Minister for Health and Wellbeing — Excellence in Public Health Awards were:

  • Barossa Council: Go Green Campaign which engaged community action on waste, climate and sustainability, to deliver a 40% increase in organic waste recycling in the Barossa.
  • City of Mount Gambier: AF Sutton Memorial Park Neighbourhood Engagement Project which tapped local pride and know-how to restore open space that is inclusive, safe, sustainable and walkable.
  • District Council of Mount Remarkable: Northern Passenger Transport Network, honouring two decades of community transport service across the mid-north region.

Further information

For further information about the Excellence in Public Awards, email PublicHealthAct@sa.gov.au or contact Local Government Relations and Policy on (08) 8226 6238.