Department of Health

The Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008External Link received Royal Assent in September 2008 and took effect on 1 January 2010.

The Public Health and Wellbeing Act aims to achieve the highest attainable standard of public health and wellbeing by:

  • protecting public health and preventing disease, illness, injury, disability or premature death
  • promoting conditions in which people can be healthy
  • reducing public health and wellbeing inequalities in Victoria.

It is a key piece of legislation designed to protect the health of Victoria's population, with implications for:

  • authorised officers within local councils, Local Public Health Units and the Department of Health
  • pest control operators
  • cooling tower operators
  • the governance and management of a range of consultative councils established under the Act
  • the management of infectious diseases, micro-organisms and medical conditions by medical and health practitioners, Victoria's Chief Health Officer and affected individuals
  • the development of public health policy through providing for municipal public health and wellbeing plans, a State public health and wellbeing plan and in some circumstances, health impact assessments.

Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Act 2022

The purpose of the is to amend the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008External Link to:

  • provide a statutory immunity for certain officers
  • change the registration of prescribed accommodation for lower risk prescribed accommodation and include accommodation related to labour hire arrangements
  • omit references to HIV and Hepatitis C
  • expand the circumstances in which the Chief Health Officer may make an examination and testing order
  • expand data collection and further analysis powers
  • provide for other miscellaneous matters
  • make consequential amendments to the Livestock Disease Control Act 1994.

Reviewed 23 October 2023

Health.vic

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