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Useful Links
The following links are provided as resource materials for your own use. While BCH has found information on these sites to be of use or interest, we do not in any way vouch for the accuracy or in any way endorse these organisations. We suggest that you use your own criteria to assess the usefulness of the sites and the information gained from them.
The Australian Parenting Website
The raisingchildren.net.au is your complete parenting resource, packed with information and practical tools for raising children (newborns to teens) in Australia. Developed with the everyday family in mind, the easy-to-use website provides parents with trusted information on behaviour, nutrition, safety, daily care and more.
Arthritis Victoria
Arthritis Victoria has recently launched an exciting new initiative, the Arthritis Map of Victoria. The Arthritis Map of Victoria assists people to prevent or manage chronic musculoskeletal conditions by helping them to locate programs and services. For further information go to the Arthritis Victoria website www.arthritisvic.org.au (external link).
Victorian Floods
Relief centres, financial assistance, health advice and support
The recent heavy rain and floods have caused stress and financial hardship in some regional communities.
The Victorian Government is coordinating a range of financial assistance and health and wellbeing services for communities that have been affected.
The following information about grants, low interest loans, health and wellbeing services and other advice for people seeking assistance visit the Department of Human Services website (external link):
- Relief and recovery centres
- Financial and material assistance
- Health and wellbeing matters
- Household matters
The Australian Government has authorised certain payments and services for people affected by flooding, severe weather and/or Tropical Cyclone Yasi. This includes people affected by the Victorian floods in January and February 2011. Financial assistance is available in the form of disaster income recovery subsidies and payments.
For more information on eligibility or if you have any queries, call Centrelink on 180 22 66 seven days a week, 8 am to 8 pm local time or visit Centrelink website http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/emergency/vic_floods_jan11.htm (external link).
To find out what services and support are available you can also contact your local council which has officers that are working with local communities.
The Red Cross has useful resources to assist in the recovery process:
Youth After the Emergency http://aftertheemergency.redcross.org.au/ (external link) has multi media resources for young people.
The Flood and Storm Information Line can provide updates on 1300 842 737.
If you require current online information about floods visit the SES website (external link).
Bushfires
Prepare. Act. Survive.
The fire season poses a significant threat to all those living, working or travelling in Victoria. Preparation and planning ahead can save you and your family from being killed by fire.
The CFA has developed a Fire Ready Kit as a resource for assisting people with bushfire preparedness. You can find the kit to download at www.cfa.vic.gov.au. The kit will help you prepare your Bushfire Survival Plan. Plans should be reviewed prior to the bushfire season in case some element of your plan needs updating.
The CFA urges all residents to have a written survival plan that takes into account family members, visitors and pets. If you work or intend to travel in a high-risk fire area you are also encouraged to prepare a plan.
Understanding the risks that lead to bushfire, how bushfires behave and identifying your ‘triggers’are all key factors in developing your plan. Critically important to those who live in high risk areas is investing time in cleaning up around your property and preparing to be fire ready.
You are not alone in your preparations. Advice and support is available with details provided throughout the Fire Ready Kit. Make use of this resource by drawing on the resources contained in the Kit and help to make this bushfire season a safe one.
In the Event of a fire
If you have the misfortune to be involved in a bushfire you can always access information and support by contacting us at Ballarat Community Health on 5338 4500.
There are key contact points where you can find out about arrangements that may be put in place after a serious bushfire event. In Victoria the Department of Human Services has overall responsibility for recovery processes; however your local council will more than likely be your first point of contact for assistance and advice. You can find out more about these processes from www.dhs.vic.gov.au/emergency. The Red Cross http://redcross.org.au/vic/ also usually has information about emergency response and recovery processes and other information that might assist you in coping after fire.
Drought Assistance
The following links to the Department of Primary Industry and the Department of Human Services sites provide information relating to
drought support;
community support initiatives; counselling and personal support; farming information; financial assistance, water information and initiatives and useful publications.
DPI Drought Assistance DHS Drought Assistance
Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC)
Consumer credit fact sheets
ASIC has a range of consumer credit fact sheets available on its consumer website that may be useful to you and those you work with. Topics include:
- Can't pay your debts?
- Car Loans
- Consumer leases
- Credit cards and store cards
- Home loans
- Interest free deals
- Love and loans
- Payday loans and other high-cost credit
- No or low-interest loans
- Overdrafts
- Book up
- Personal loans
- Rent to buy
- Using a broker
- Your credit report
ASIC also has a booklet available for download Credit, loans and debt: Stay out of trouble when you borrow money. You can also contact ASIC's infoline on infoline@asic.gov.au or 1300 300 630.
ASIC Fact Sheets and Booklet
Complaints about credit
If you have credit-related complaints about misbehaviour or illegal activity by a company or person, then ASIC may be able to help you. Click on the 'How to complain' on the 'About you' tab. There is a link to information about other agencies you may need to contact, depending on the nature of your complaint. There is also an online complaint form which you can fax, post or email or you can call ASIC's information line 1300 300 630.
ASIC website
W.H.O. Charters for Health Promotion
The World Health Organisation (W.H.O.) held its first Global Conference in 1986 in Ottowa dealing specifically with Health Promotion. This Conference was primarily a response to growing expectations for a new public health movement around the world. Discussions focused on the needs in industrialized countries, but took into account similar concerns in all other regions. It built on the progress made through the Declaration on Primary Health Care at Alma-Ata, the World Health Organization's Targets for Health for All document, and the recent debate at the World Health Assembly on intersectoral action for health.
Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. To reach a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, an individual or group must be able to identify and to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment.
In 2005 the 6th Global Conference on Health Promotion was held in Bangkok. The result of this Conference was the identification of major challenges, actions and commitments needed to address the determinants of health in a globalized world by reaching out to people, groups and organizations that are critical to the achievement of health.
The relevant documents can be found at the links below -
Ottowa Charter for Health Promotion Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion
City of Ballarat - |
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Disabled Persons Parking Permit Application and Conditions of Use
Golden Plains Shire Health Promotion - 
Ballarat & District Nursing and HealthCare - 
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Primary Care Partnership - |
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