Evidence Papers

New Entries

Children

Guidelines for using contracted external providers for physical education and school sport
PCAL has developed guidelines to help school Principals (or relevant people) decide whether or not they want to hire an external provider to enhance physical education and sport provision within their school. If they choose to engage an external provider, the guidelines may also be used by Principals to make decisions about which provider to select. There are four parts to the Guidelines: Background, choosing a provider, responsibilities of the school and further information.

Guidelines for using external providers for physical activity in Out of School Hours (OOSH) centres
PCAL has developed guidelines to assist NSW OOSH centres which plan to engage an external provider to deliver formal physical activity programs. The guidelines are also meant to assist management committees/coordinators to inform their decisions about whether or not to select an external provider. There are four parts to the Guidelines: Background, choosing a provider, responsibilities of the OOSH centre and further information.

Why Active Living Statement

Active Living Statement
There is a rapidly growing body of evidence which demonstrates that being active in everyday life not only has substantial positive impacts on our health, but also has potential environmental, social and economic benefits. To assist and support leaders in the public, private and community sectors to make decisions that will facilitate and encourage active living, PCAL has summarised in this Active Living Statement the key evidence demonstrating the benefits of active living and the individual and social costs of a sedentary lifestyle.

Active Travel

NSW Travelsmart Schools Program 2006-2007 Summary Report
The NSW Travelsmart Schools Program aimed to reduce car use and to encourage active travel (walking, cycling and/or public transport) to and from school by students and their parents at 15 primary schools in the inner west and eastern suburbs of Sydney. The program took place from February 2006 to September 2007 and represented a collaboration between NSW health, transport, planning and environment agencies. The Summary Report confirms parent journey to work is a key factor that influences parents' decisions on how they and their children travel to and from school and concludes that the goals and strategies of active travel to school programs should be extended to include active travel to parents' workplaces. A series of subsequent recommendations is also provided.

Community Development

Guidelines for the use of Physical Activity for Community Development Purposes
To support the efforts of the NSW Government, the business sector and the community to deliver 'best practice', evidence-based, physical activity/active living programs which strengthen community engagement and build social capital, the NSW Premier's Council for Active Living (PCAL) has developed Recommended Guidelines for the use of Physical Activity for Community Development Purposes.

Practitioner's Resource
A concise practitioner's resource has been developed to assist practitioners plan, implement and evaluate physical activity programs that build social capital in communities. The resource has been designed for use in a multiplicity of applications including program and policy settings and at grassroots delivery of physical activity or community development programs.

Physical Activity & Building Stronger Communities
This report was commissioned by PCAL as part of the development of guidelines for the use of physical activity for community development purposes. The report reviews the formal literature relating to the role of physical activity in building stronger communities. The review outlines the health benefits of physical activity and how participation in physical activity may help foster social capital and encourage the development of strong and healthy communities.

Healthy Planning

A as in Active: Incorporating Active Living Principles within Planning
The built environment is one of a range of important variables which influences people’s physical activity levels. While research to date has not shown any causal relationship between physical environment characteristics and participation in physical activity, good associations have been demonstrated. At the macro level factors such as medium to high residential densities, connectivity between home, work, shopping, recreation and public transport, and land use mix are supportive of physical activity. At the micro level the presence of pedestrian and bicycling facilities, pleasant street conditions, and perceptions around the neighbourhood being a safe and enjoyable place in which to be are important.

Information relating to healthy planning processes was presented within the Planning Institute of Australia (NSW Division) quarterly magazine, April 2007

Project Report: Creating Liveable Communities in the Lower Hunter Region
Hunter New England Population Health, with funding from the University of Newcastle Research Associates (TUNRA) has completed (June 2007) the Liveable Communities Project and subsequent project report. This urban development project set out to identify key components in building liveable communities in the Lower Hunter Region of NSW and to develop a locally designed resource to assist both planning and development industries in creating liveable communities. The research was informed by evidence and local stakeholder and community need that revealed a number of principles and key elements of a liveable community upon which the resource was based.

Building Liveable Communities in the Lower Hunter Region
Hunter New England Population Health, with funding from the University of Newcastle Research Associates (TUNRA) has developed (March 2007) a locally-designed resource to assist both planning and development industries in creating liveable communities. Building Liveable Communities in the Lower Hunter Region is based on the four guiding principles of accessibility, connectivity, sustainability and flexibility and breaks down each principle into key elements with related design suggestions. The resource can also be used to help determine the social and health outcomes of proposed developments.

The CHESS Principles for Healthy Environments: An holistic and strategic game-plan for inter-sectoral policy and action
This paper presents the CHESS principles for healthy environments. This is a comprehensive schema which enables professionals to work inter-sectorally and collaboratively to strategically devise policy and subsequent actions for wellbeing. Simply stated as different environments which underpin the achievement of healthy people, places and planet, CHESS encompasses the following:

• Connected Environments
• Healthy Eating Environments
• Safe Environments
• Sustainable Environments.