Current Campaigns
A key component of Physical Activity Australia’s commitment to an active Australia is our campaign work. We campaign on both a national and state level for improved living and work spaces that will assist Australians to incorporate physical activity into their everyday lives.
Quick links
- Walktober
- Joint submission to the Environment and Planning Committee
- Healthy Communities Initiative
- Other physical activity campaigns
Walktober
Our current focus campaign is Walktober.
In line with our vision, Every day, every Australian, physically active, we encourage all Australians to get walking in October.
We’ve renamed October, ‘Walktober’! It’s the ideal time to celebrate walking. October is that time of year when you feel a ‘spring’ in your step; the weather is warming up and it’s a great time to get outside.
We want everyone, young and old, fast or slow, on your own or with a group, for active travel, for exercise, leisure or pleasure, to get walking.
There are many ways to get walking, get active, and get involved with Walktober.
Go to the Walktober website and register for the National Challenge to walk around the world. Once you have registered you can see the impact your walking is having – how far you have walked, the number of kilojoules you’ve burned, the total minutes you’ve walked and the CO2 (greenhouse gas) you’ve saved by leaving your car at home and walking.
On the website you can also:
- find a walk
- add a walk
- track your progress
- share your walking stories
- take a Sunday Stroll
Joint Submission to the Environment and Planning Committee
In June 2011 we contributed to a Joint Submission to the Environment and Planning Committee regarding the Parliamentary Inquiry into Environmental Design and Public Health in Victoria, together with the following organisations involved in the health and the built environment sectors:
- Cancer Council Victoria (Sunsmart)
- City of Port Phillip
- Planning Institute of Australia – Victorian Division
- Physical Activity Australia (formerly Kinect Australia)
- Victorian council of Social Service
- Victorian Local Governance Association
The submission focussed on how to best incorporate health considerations as a key objective in the Victorian planning framework. The key opportunity for the built environment to improve the health and wellbeing of Victorian Communities is linked to ensuring the planning framework recognises health as a key priority. While many voluntary measures exist, there is a need to make aspects of health and well-being more explicit in the Planning Act.
The submission noted that this can be achieved by ensuring there is a link between local government Municipal Public health Plans and planning schemes, inclusion of ‘health’ in the objectives of the Planning & Environment Act 1987, and by community health and wellbeing being included as a clear direction by the State Planning Policy Framework.
Healthy Communities Initiative
Physical Activity Australia is supporting the Government’s Healthy Communities Initiative. We are part of the expert advisory group registering programs that fit under the Initiative’s guidelines.
Read more about the Healthy Communities Initiative.
Other physical activity campaigns
For more smart ideas and inspiration look at the following physical activity campaigns that are running across Australia and overseas:
Australia wide:
- Swap It, Don’t Stop It
Eric – a balloon man – encourages men, women and children to swap some of the things they are doing for healthier choices. - 10,000 Steps
A free health promotion program that encourages the use of step-counting pedometers to monitor your daily physical activity levels.
Australia states:
- NSW – Premier’s Council for Active Living
Aims to build and strengthen the physical and social environments in which communities engage in active living. - NT – goNT
A whole of government and community initiative to promote physical activity and encourage Territorians to be more active in their everyday life. - QLD – Be Active QLD
Built around the active living concept, which is defined as a way of life that integrates physical activity into daily routines. - SA – Be Active SA
A South Australian message established by the State Government to get more South Australians more active, more often. - TAS – Get Moving Tasmania
Aims to increase the level of physical activity of all Tasmanian’s and promotes active and healthy lifestyles. - VIC – ‘Go for your life’
Aims to promote healthy eating and increase levels of physical activity. The website provides a range of information, tools and resources for teenagers, adults, new parents, children, families and older adults. - WA - Be Active WA
The Physical Activity Taskforce was formed to oversee the development and implementation of a whole of community physical activity strategy for Western Australia.
Global:
New Zealand:
UK:
US:
US Department of Health and Human Services / Centre For Disease Control & Prevention