Councillors endorsed a draft four-year plan at a meeting on Wednesday.

The health and wellbeing document will form part of the 2017-2021 Hindmarsh Shire Council Plan.

Council’s acting community services director Phil King said council worked with its communities and a range of groups including Wimmera Primary Care Partnership, West Wimmera Health Service and Wimmera Health Care Group to form the plan.

He said four priority areas emerged from this process: healthy living and eating; physical activity; social connection; and family violence.

The latter category is mandatory for all municipal health and wellbeing plans following recommendations from the Royal Commission into Family Violence last year.

Mr King said council had grouped these priorities into broader areas within the overall council plan.

The health and wellbeing plan also takes into account Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2015-2019 priorities, which emphasise a prevention health systems approach, and a stronger focus on inequalities in health and wellbeing and what determines them.

Mr King said council had the option of preparing the health and wellbeing plan through the council plan, or as a standalone document.

“However as council chose to consider the document through the council plan, we need to seek an exemption from the Department of Health and Human Services from producing a standalone document,” he said.

“After that time, we’ll put the document out for public comment, and then it can hopefully be adopted towards the end of August.”

Councillor Tony Schneider said the document outlined some exciting projects.

“It’s good to see it all coming together. Now we just need some government support to help us make it happen. Things are pretty tight otherwise,” he said. 

The health and wellbeing plan will be reviewed annually.