Health Impact Assessment in New Zealand

HIA e-News
Issue 23, September 2009

In This Issue Welcome HIA Support Unit Evaluation Survey Reminder HIA on Manukau City Council's Built Form and Spatial Structure Plan PHAC Update on Urban Environments Update about the Reform of the Resource Management Act (RMA) HIA Support Unit - Learning By Doing Investment Reminder HIA Support Unit - Evaluation Update New Publication of Interest Upcoming HIA Training & Conferences Current / Future HIAs Future Training Opportunities 2009 - Reminder Contact Us

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Welcome

Nau mai, haere mai ki te HIA e-News.

Welcome to the September 2009 Spring issue of the HIA e-News. The theme for this issue is recent developments in the use of HIA in urban planning and design, and the inclusion of Māori perspectives on health and urban form.

In this issue we profile the HIA work that has recently been completed by Manukau City Council on their Built Form and Spatial Structure Plan. This is the first HIA funded by the HIA Support Unit led by a local authority. We hear about the four key areas - accessibility, active transport and mobility, safety, and liveability and vitality of the areas - that were central to this Manukau City Council HIA.

We also have updates from the Public Health Advisory Committee which has urban environments as one of its priority areas, as well as an update on the Ministry for the Environment's work looking at reforms to the Resource Management Act.

Also, we would like to encourage all HIA e-News readers to complete the online survey as part of the evaluation of the Ministry's HIA Support Unit. The details are below. Last but by no means least - applications for our third HIA Learning by Doing Fund also close on 5 October.

Have a great spring, and enjoy the chance to get outside for some sun.


Matt Soeberg and Christine Stewart, Ministry of Health HIA Support Unit
Robert Quigley, Quigley and Watts Ltd.

HIA Support Unit Evaluation Survey Reminder

So far there have been 49 responses to the online survey for the evaluation of the HIA Support Unit, and we need more. We are increasingly called on to provide evidence for the contribution HIA makes to improving health and wellbeing. Your survey response will be invaluable to assisting us to improve the effectiveness of the Support Unit in achieving its goals.

The online questionnaire is still open at http:www.hoi.com.au/nz/hiasu and is open to anyone who has:

• been involved in undertaking health impact assessments, or
• attended HIA training, or
• had any contact with the HIA Support Unit.

The online questionnaire closes on 30 September. As a thank-you for participating, all surveys completed by 30 September will go into a draw to win an iPod Shuffle or $150 worth of Motor Trade Association (petrol) vouchers or an alternate voucher to support active transport.

HIA on Manukau City Council's Built Form and Spatial Structure Plan

Who commissioned and undertook the HIA?

In 2008, Manukau the Healthy City (Manukau City Council) commissioned a health impact assessment (HIA) to explore the potential health impacts arising from the Manukau Built Form and Spatial Structure Plan. This plan will guide the development of Manukau's city centre for the next 50 years.

Manukau City Council commissioned the HIA, as part of its overarching intent to place health and wellbeing high on the political and social agenda of Manukau City by promoting intersectoral collaboration and focusing on healthy urban planning. Synergia Ltd led the HIA on behalf of Manukau the Healthy City, and partnered with Hapai Te Hauora Tapui to incorporate elements of whānau ora health impact assessment. The Ministry of Health Health Impact Assessment Support Unit (HIASU) funded the HIA through its Learning by Doing fund.

What did the HIA look at?

The intent of HIA was to explore the potential health issues that might arise through the implementation of the Built Form and Spatial Structure Plan over time. Four main areas were identified in the scoping stage of the HIA:

• accessibility - to identify opportunities for increasing accessibility for visitors and residents to be able to reach services, amenities and facilities that support healthy living
• active Transport and Mobility - to identify opportunities for embedding active modes of transport within Manukau city centre, as well as enhancing access and mobility, particularly for disadvantaged groups and people with disabilities
• safety - to identify opportunities for ensuring optimal safety of residents and visitors within the city centre
• liveability and vitality of area - to identify opportunities to improve the social, cultural, and environmental character of Manukau City to create a healthy city.

Who was involved?

The appraisal phase of the HIA brought together mainstream stakeholders, Māori, and primary school children. This was supplemented by analysis of the literature and a profile of the Manukau area.

Māori Perspectives on Health and Urban Form

Hauora (health) is an all embracing concept which embodies the importance of wairua (spiritual), whānau (family), hinengaro (mental) and tinana (physical aspects).

The Built Form and Spatial Structure Plan was notable for its inclusion of Māori world views, which was acknowledged by participants.

Māori participants in the HIA gave support to the concept of an 'indigenous imprint' in the design of a city. Such an imprint was seen to provide important design for both tangata whenua wellbeing and the overall wellbeing of a community.

Māori participants in the HIA identified issues that impacted on toi ora (healthy lifestyles), including:

• traffic and pedestrian injuries caused by poor footpaths, lack of safe places to cross (such as crossing to Hayman Park)
• the impact of the 'car culture', and the increasing levels of noise and air pollution
• the high cost of housing affecting whānaus' ability to own their own homes has led to increased overcrowding in the Manukau City area
• a lack of safe spaces for tamariki (children) to play, and for rangatahi (young people) to be themselves
• participants identified the importance of re-connecting tamariki with the natural environment, and enabling tamariki to be active.

What did the HIA find?

The HIA gave support to the Built Form and Spatial Structure Plan. The plan was identified as a way to allow change over time which would facilitate different ways in which people might want to use the Manukau city centre in the future.

The HIA process also highlighted how similar the outcomes sought by health promoters and the urban designers were and how they could be fostered by the Built Form and Spatial Structure Plan.

The Plan has potential to encourage more active daily life, support a diversity of uses of the city centre, and to encourage a safer environment for people in the area.

One important finding of the HIA was that the long-term development of the Manukau city centre area should focus on ensuring accessibility for families and people with disabilities. This would support development of an environment that is accessible and health promoting for all population groups.

Can I access the HIA reports?

The reports for this HIA will soon be available on the Ministry of Health website: http://www.moh.govt.nz/hiasupportunit

PHAC Update on Urban Environments

The Public Health Advisory Committee urban environments and health project

Some of the greatest advances in the history of public health came from its influence on urban planning. However in recent decades, the involvement of public health professionals in issues such as urban development, planning, and transport has diminished. There has emerged a range of health problems that are, at least in part, associated with how we live in our towns and cities today. Car dependency has contributed to physical inactivity, increasing levels of obesity and a rising incidence of illness and disease associated with this. In some areas air pollution is a problem, and in other areas pedestrian and cycle injuries are a major cause of concern. All too often it is people from disadvantaged backgrounds who suffer the greatest health impacts from poor urban environments. This can exacerbate health inequalities. With 86 percent of New Zealanders now living in urban environments, the issue is of major importance to the future prosperity of New Zealand.

The Public Health Advisory Committee (PHAC) is nearing completion of a project that explores the relationship between the urban environment and health in a New Zealand context. The project is using a broad definition of the urban environment, which includes cities, towns and smaller settlements, and it identifies factors that contribute to health and wellbeing in these areas. The project explores the impact of urban living on people at all stages of life including children and older people, and it identifies examples of initiatives that have improved health through effective urban planning and management.

As part of this project, the PHAC commissioned a number of pieces of work including:

• an international review of evidence on the relationship between the urban environment and health
• a review of healthy urban planning
• a series of 'think pieces' from experts on the links between urban environments and health
• a survey of urban and transport planners about urban environments and health in their work.

Most of this work is available on the PHAC website: http://www.phac.health.govt.nz/

As a subcommittee of the National Health Committee (NHC), the PHAC provides the Minister of Health with independent advice on public health issues. By the end of the year, the PHAC will deliver advice to the Minister on urban environments and health. This will include an indication of intersectoral opportunities to improve urban health outcomes, and recommendations of the role of the health sector in contributing to positive outcomes.

For more information, please visit the website or email at: nhc_info@nhc.govt.nz.

Update about the Reform of the Resource Management Act (RMA)

As part of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) reform, key concerns relating to the urban environment have been identified including:

• the lack of alignment and connection between planning statutes (specifically the RMA, Local Government Act, Land Transport Management Act) has created an overly complex regulatory environment
• the lack of coordination and consistency in decision making and action by participants - local and central government, private sector and infrastructure providers - in urban planning, design and development
• the RMA does not effectively recognise the positive economic, social, health and cultural contribution that quality urban planning and design can make to New Zealand towns and cities; and
• some of the tools currently available for implementing urban development are either not used to their full potential (eg, urban design panels); inadequate (eg, financing and funding mechanisms for infrastructure) or need to be complemented by new tools to be effective (eg, structure plans and metropolitan urban limits).

Phase I of the RMA reforms was about simplifying and streamlining the RMA, and the Resource Management (Simplifying & Streamlining) Amendment Bill passed its third reading in Parliament on 9 September and will enter into law from 1 October 2009.

Phase II is a far more complex reform process with 10 related work streams. The first four work streams involve greater central government direction to improve management of aquaculture, infrastructure, urban planning and water. There is also a major job to develop the scope, functions and structure of the new Environmental Protection Authority.

There is a great deal of work to be done and because of the detailed and complex nature of the second phase of the RMA reform programme, work will progress at a more modest pace. Collaboration and consultation will be the key to gaining long term success for this second phase of resource management reform.

HIA Support Unit - Learning By Doing Investment Reminder

We hope you've heard about the Learning by Doing RFP which is up on GETS and the Ministry of Health website. If you haven't had a look yet, here's the link: http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/hiasupportunit-learningbydoing#round3

The RFP closes on 5 October, so only a few more days to get your proposal in. We're looking forward to reading your proposals, and getting some serious HIA activity under way in what could be our last Learning by Doing Investment Round.

HIA Support Unit - Evaluation Update

The evaluation of the Ministry's HIA Support Unit is well underway. There are two major activities happening at the moment. The online survey has been distributed to over 1,000 people. Key informant interviews are being undertaken with about 30 people right from the health and non-health sectors all around the country.

The focus of the evaluation is on the first two phases of the Unit's work until July 2009. The evaluation commenced in July 2009 and the final report will be delivered to the Ministry in January 2010.

We will continue to provide updates about the evaluation in the upcoming editions of the HIA e-newsletter.

If you have any questions about the evaluation or would like to provide feedback about the HIA Support Unit or HIA and Whānau Ora HIA development in New Zealand, please contact Julian King at Health Outcomes International: julian@hoi.co.nz.

New Publication of Interest

Environmental Health Indicators for New Zealand 2008

Date of publication (online): August 2009

The Environmental Health Indicators report focuses on air quality, water quality and border health protection and highlights environmental health trends. It has been published annually since 2004.

The 2008 report provides continued, reliable and up-to-date information on aspects of environmental health. This is important as of the Ministry has a statutory responsibility to monitor and report on the state of public health and the information is an essential tool for policy and decision-making.

You can access the report on the Ministry of Health website: Environmental Health Indicators for New Zealand 2008.

Upcoming HIA Training & Conferences

Australasian Facilitators Network (AFN) Conference Nelson 2009

25 - 27 November 2009, with two events preceding the conference:

1. International Association of Facilitators (IAF) Certified Professional Facilitator Accreditation
Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 November

If you are interested in becoming part of an international group of professional facilitators, please enquire at certify@iaf-world.org or go to the AFN conference website below for further information.

2. Pre-Conference Workshops
Monday 23 & Tuesday 24 November

Six exciting workshops are on offer to AFN members, conference attendees and to the public. There is an exceptional line up of talented presenters offering a range of innovative and exciting workshops. See the AFN conference website for further details.

The AFN Conference
Wednesday 25 - Friday 27 November

This will be an exciting event with a wide range of excellent concurrent workshops. There is a wonderful mix of many experienced and recognised facilitators coming to New Zealand and facilitators who are presenting at an AFN conference for the first time. You will enjoy the fabulous venue which is a source of great pride and inspiration; Whakatu Marae and Founders Heritage. The Nelson flavour and ambience will flow throughout the conference. Look forward to some uniquely Kiwi music, food, wine and beer.

For further information and to register please go to http://www.afn2009.net.nz.

New Zealand Planning Institute Conference - April 2010

The New Zealand Planning Institute and Planning Institute of Australia invite you to attend their 2010 International Planning Conference in Christchurch 20-23 April 2010. The theme for the Conference is Planning Pathways to the Future. This Conference will explore future directions for planning the what pathways needed to take to change the way we plan, work and live in response to global issues.

For more information visit the website: http://www.planningpathways2010.com/home.html

10th Annual Conference on HIA in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, October 2009 - Submissions and Registrations Open

14 - 16 of October 2009

The theme of the 2009 international HIA conference being held in Rotterdam is 'On the move'. The following will be discussed:

• how to move health higher up on the policy agendas
• how to move on from incidental HIA's to institutionalisation
• how to move on to better integration of HIA in a Health In All Policies approach, trying to create win-win situations for health as well as for other sectors.

Contributions relevant to the theme 'movement' such as transport, physical exercise or migration, are especially welcomed, as well as any other HIA related contributions.

All HIA practitioners, researchers and others involved in, or with an interest for HIA are invited to join us in the vibrant environment of the city of Rotterdam to enjoy networking, learning and sharing experiences.

For further information, registration and submission of abstracts please visit the conference website: http://www.hia09.nl/default.cfm

Current / Future HIA's

If you have an HIA underway or have just finished one then please get in touch with us and we will post information about it here. This could provide you and your team with useful information / pointers / support to assist you as you go through your HIA.

Future Training Opportunities 2009 - Reminder

Introductory and Advanced HIA training courses and courses on specific topics related to health, well-being and equity impact assessment can be organised for you. If you would like training to be held in your area or within your organisation please contact Louise Signal or Rob Quigley to discuss tailoring dates and training to your requirements. If appropriate, Rob can discuss the possibility of joint training sessions with other organisations in your area or even with others from other regions. Notices or invitations for training courses can be included here in HIA e-News.

Ph: (04) 472 0139 or email: rob@quigleyandwatts.co.nz or louise.signal@otago.ac.nz.

Contact Us

Ministry of Health: matt_soeberg@moh.govt.nz or christine_stewart@moh.govt.nz
Quigley and Watts Ltd: kate@quigleyandwatts.co.nz

This newsletter is funded by Ministry of Health and brought to you by Quigley and Watts Ltd. We welcome your feedback via the above email addresses.

Page last updated: 24 September 2009