About Environmental Health
The Environmental Health section is a core part of the Public Health Unit (PHU) within the North Coast Area Health Service (NCAHS) Population Health, Planning and Performance Directorate. NCAHS Environmental Health team works closely with the community, Local Councils, other Government Departments and the Environmental Health Branch of NSW Health to maintain a safe and healthy environment.
The NCAHS Environmental Health team comprises of six (6) Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) and two (2) Trainee Environmental Health Officers located in Port Macquarie and Lismore. The Port Macquarie Office serves the local Council areas of Hastings, Kempsey, Nambucca, Bellingen and Coffs Harbour City. The Lismore Office serves the local Council areas of Tweed, Byron, Ballina, Lismore, Kyogle, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley.
Environmental Health is a key component of public health. It considers the basic infrastructure on which all health is built and addresses emerging health risks arising from the pressures urban development places on the human environment.
The National Environmental Health Strategy defines Environmental Health as those aspects of human health determined by the physical, chemical, biological and social factors in the environment.
The practice of Environmental Health covers the assessment, correction, control, and prevention of environmental factors that can adversely affect health, as well as the enhancement of those aspects of the environment that improve human health.
Examples of traditional Environmental Health hazards are;
- lack of access to safe drinking water
- unsafe food
- unclean air
- inadequate basic sanitation
- inadequate waste disposal
- an unsafe built environment
- disease vector prevalence
Some of the activities of Environmental Health Officers include:
- Follow up of infectious disease notification
- Protecting health in emergency situations
- Identification of Aboriginal Environmental Health risks
- Investigation of complaints and enquires
- Monitoring of public water supplies
- Environmental Health Education and Research
- Policy Development
- Air Quality
- Waste Management
- Advice on control of insects and pests
- Assessment of contaminated sites
- Recreational water
- Safe skin penetration activities
- Control of Tobacco Advertising and Sales & promotion of the Smoke Free Environments
- Land Use & Development
- Funeral Industries
- Sewage Management
- Effluent Re-use
Environmental Health is a multi-disciplinary field requiring collaboration from stakeholders working in areas such as health, environmental protection, social sciences, applied sciences, engineering, land use planning and economics.
Further information please go to the Environmental Health, NSW Health Department website.