Abstract

Australia, a developed and highly urbanised nation, is struggling to find policy and legislative responses to address the epidemic incidence of non-communicable ‘lifestyle’ disease. At the local government level, there is existing capacity within the legislative and policy framework to make public health interventions. This paper queries why this capacity may be under-utilised, and identifies obstacles as a combination of chronic funding and resource strictures, powers which are discretionary rather than mandatory, and lack of accountability. The paper concludes that the next logical step in the integration of public health into urban planning at the local level, is the mandating of public health impact as a consideration in planning decisions.