Lakes DHB Position Statements
These are the official position statements of the Lakes DHB board on a range of matters relating to public health.
Lakes DHB Position Statements
Lakes District Health Board supports strategies and initiatives that increase the provision and use of active transport in our communities.
Active transport results in a broad range of everyday convenience, health and environmental benefits for individuals and the population.
Lakes DHB advocates for, and supports:
- Working with central and local government to provide public transport, walking, and cycling infrastructure.
- The promotion and provision of active transport choices for its staff, patients and visitors.
- Active transport being incorporated into the design of urban, commercial and industrial areas, roads, and building developments.
- Travel planning initiatives and activities in workplaces, schools, and community organisations.
Click here for the full position statement that Lakes DHB adopted at its 13 September 2019 meeting.
Alcohol-related harm impacts significantly on the health of individuals, family/whānau groups and the wider community.
To improve population health, Lakes District Health Board supports strategies and initiatives, with a strong equity focus, that aim to reduce alcohol consumption and contribute towards healthier environments.
Click here to download the position statement that was adopted at its 21 December 2021 meeting.
Breast milk is the best first food for babies for optimal growth, development and health.
Lakes DHB supports the normalisation of breastfeeding in public spaces, which will have a positive effect for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.
Lakes DHB advocates and supports:
- Increasing the number of breastfeeding friendly public spaces
- Normalising breastfeeding within public spaces
- Increasing access to quality health information of the benefits of breastfeeding
- Implementing the national breastfeeding quidelines
Click here for the full position statement that Lakes DHB adopted at its 18 August 2017 meeting.
As a basic human right all New Zealanders should have sufficient access to safe, affordable healthy food.
Lakes DHB supports / advocates for the collective responsibility of central and local government, agriculture and the food industry, and community groups to improve affordable access to healthy, safe, and nutritious food.
Food security is built on four key supports, of availability, access, food use and food stability.
A 2016 survey of the Lakes district indicated that 16% of the local population, including about 30% of Maori, worried about not having enough money to buy food.
Lakes District Health Board supports:
- Access to affordable healthy, safe and nutritious food
- The establishment of local Food Policy Councils
- Food security issues being considered in local government policies and activities
- Research on the access and impact of the local food environment on food security
- Emergency planning that ensures the availability of adequate and safe food and water
- Initiatives that promote safe and nutritious food gathering and preparation (including wild foods and kaimoana)
- Initiatives to make fresh food and vegetables more affordable
- Initiatives that promote nutritionally adequate dietary intake
- Breastfeeding friendly environments.
Click here for the full position statement that Lakes DHB adopted at its 13 October 2017 meeting.
Gambling is a public health issue as stated in the Gambling Act 2003. Gambling machines (pokies) cause more harm than any other form of gambling.
Lakes District Health Board supports strategies that minimise gambling-related harm and inequality across the spectrum of problem gambling behaviour and recommends that councils adopt a sinking lid policy to reduce the number of class 4 gambling machines in each community.
Lakes District Health Board advocates and supports the following:
- Working with local government to implement healthy policies to prevent and minimise gambling-related harm and inequalities
- Local government adopting a sinking lid policy for gambling machines, whereby no new licences or additional gambling machines are allowed and existing licences cannot be transferred to other locations
- Alternative, more sustainable and equitable community funding models, reducing reliance on gambling proceeds.
- Consequently, the Lakes DHB will not accept any funding derived from gambling machine proceeds.
Click here for the full position statement that Lakes DHB adopted at its 14 December 2018 meeting.
A hazardous substance is any solid, liquid, chemical or gas that can harm people, other living organisms, property, or the environment.
Hazardous substances should only be used if necessary and if used, emissions should be minimised. Plans should be developed to ensure hazardous exposure is either avoided or kept to an acceptable minimum.
Lakes DHB supports:
- Actions that protect the environment, and the health and safety of people and communities, by preventing or managing the adverse effects of hazardous substances.
- Ongoing communication to ensure that organisations and the local community are informed of the risk of hazards and appropriate control measures.
- Prevention and control measures are integrated into comprehensive, well-managed and sustainable programmes, and must include public health response functions.
- Safe and specific disposal of all hazardous substances at accessible specialist facilities that protect public health and the environment.
- Investigation of complaints and notifications claiming adverse health impacts from any poisonings and chemical or hazardous substances injuries (chemical exposure incidents) in non-occupational settings.
Click here for the full position statement that Lakes DHB adopted at its 15 September 2017 meeting.
Health outcomes cannot be achieved through the efforts of the health sector alone, but rely on the collective efforts of the wider community.
Lakes District Health Board supports the Health in All Policies approach.
Health in All Policies is a collaborative approach to improving the health of all people by incorporating health considerations into decision-making across all sectors and policy areas.
Under its enabling legislation, the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000, Section 22, Lakes DHB is required:
- to improve, promote, and protect the health of people and communities;
- to promote the inclusion and participation in society and independence of people with disabilities;
- to reduce health disparities by improving health outcomes for Maori and other population groups;
- to exhibit a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the interests of the people to whom it provides, or for whom it arranges the provision of, services;
- to exhibit a sense of environmental responsibility by having regard to the environmental implications of its operations.
In addition, each DHB has the following functions:
(a) to actively… facilitate, sponsor, and develop … collaborative arrangements with persons ….. to improve, promote, and protect the health of people…
(b) to collaborate, plan and co-ordinate at local, regional, and national levels for the most effective and efficient delivery of health services.
(c) to issue relevant information …. to improve, promote, and protect the health of people for the purposes of paragraphs (a) and (b).
(d) to promote the reduction of adverse social and environmental effects on the health of people and communities.
Good health outcomes begin with healthy policies that create healthy environments which support people to adopt healthy behaviours. Lakes DHB has a role to drive conversations within all sectors to keep good health at the top of everyone’s mind.
Lakes DHB:
1.1. Is committed to building the capacity of the health sector to deliver a Health in All Policies approach.
1.2. Will contribute to building the knowledge and evidence base of healthy policy options and strategies, and will identify and prioritise emerging health issues resulting from changes in society.
1.3. Will collaborate with different sectors and with the Lakes community at governance and operational levels to tackle improvements in the social determinants of health.
1.4. Will oversee / contribute to the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policy with respect to health outcomes, health determinants and equity.
Click here for the full position statement that Lakes DHB adopted at its 8 July 2016 meeting.
To support alignment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Lakes District Health Board supports and advocates for the application of matauranga Māori (Māori wisdom) and evidence based healthy built environment principles throughout all stages of urban and rural planning and development.
Healthy built environments are places that support equity, and where the wellbeing of people, land, water, air and living species are at the forefront of decisions.
The Lakes District Health Board supports and advocates for:
Application of mātauranga Māori (Māori wisdom), He Pou Oranga Tangata Whenua, Toi Ora, Whakawhanaungatanga, Manaakitanga, equity and universal design to all stages of planning and development.
Ensuring genuine collaboration, co-design and mahi tahi is utilised throughout planning and development stages particularly with priority populations and vulnerable communities.
Consideration of the health of our people, land, water, air and living species at the forefront of planning and development.
Application of evidenced based healthy built environment principles across all stages of planning and development, including:
- Biophilic design principles, such as protecting and enhancing natural elements across the landscape, preserving and enhancing environmentally sensitive areas, and maximising opportunities for everyone to access natural environments.
- Healthy neighbourhood design by creating complete, compact neighbourhoods through mixed land use and efficient planning, and prioritising new developments within or beside existing communities.
- Active transportation facilities, where street design prioritises active transportation networks which are safe and accessible by all ages and abilities, and provide connected, attractive routes that support multiple modalities.
- Affordable and quality housing options, with diverse housing forms and tenure types, and located in sites that minimise exposure to environmental hazards.
- Healthy food systems, by ensuring there is affordable and equitable access to healthy food options, protecting productive land and increasing the capacity of local food systems.
Click here for the full position statement that Lakes DHB adopted at its 13 March 2020 meeting.
The quality, affordability, safety, and suitability of housing are important determinants of health and wellbeing.
The concept of a healthy home brings together three key aspects: the physical conditions of the house, the suitability of the house for its occupants, and the affordability of the house.
- Houses need to be warm and dry and have adequate heating to provide a comfortable living temperature (at least 18˚C) and to help prevent the build-up of moisture.
- A house must have adequate sanitary facilities including plumbing and suitable personal hygiene facilities.
- Houses should provide physical security for their occupants with security features in good order.
- There should not be health risks from the presence of hazardous and toxic substances.
- The house must be of sufficient size for its occupants so that crowding does not occur.
- Occupants need to have sufficient security of tenure.
- A house needs to be affordable for its occupants including any of the associated costs of heating, insurance, rates, and general maintenance.
Lakes District Health Board supports:
- Explicit recognition by local and central government of the importance of housing to health and wellbeing.
- Measures which support warm, dry, suitable, and affordable housing.
- Initiatives such as a warrant of fitness system to ensure ongoing compliance with the Building Act and Health Act.
- The provision of social housing for vulnerable populations such as the homeless, elderly, low income families, and people with disabilities.
Click here for the full position statement that Lakes DHB adopted at its 15 September 2017 meeting.
Immunisation is a highly effective means of preventing a number of infectious diseases and some cancers.
Lakes District Health Board recommends that all children and adults are immunised according to the National Immunisation Schedule.
Lakes District Health Board advocates and supports:
- Promoting the immunisation of children and adults according to the National Immunisation Schedule2 to achieve the high coverage rates required to prevent outbreaks, eradicate disease, and provide personal protection.
- Achieving immunisation coverage rates for Maori, Pacific and other population groups at the same or better coverage rate as for the New Zealand European population.
- Immunisation of susceptible close contacts in outbreak control of communicable infectious diseases.
- Reducing the impact of communicable diseases in vulnerable age groups, such as vaccination against measles and mumps among 12 to 29 year olds.
- The recommendation that healthcare workers receive appropriate immunisations, for example, against influenza, measles, and pertussis, not only for their own protection, but also to reduce the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases to vulnerable patients including the unborn children of pregnant women.
- The important and influential role of health professionals in providing accurate and evidence-based information, proactively advocating for the benefits of vaccination and addressing misinformation.
Click here for the full position statement that Lakes DHB adopted at its 14 December 2018 meeting.
Sanitary services have a significant impact on the health of individuals and communities. Lakes District Health Board advocates for and supports the best practicable sanitary services to protect the health of the public.
Lakes District Health Board advocates and supports the following:
- Quality sanitary services where protecting the public’s health is the primary consideration
- The provision and management of effective sanitary services by local authorities
- Access to safe and sufficient water suitable for drinking, food preparation, and personal hygiene
- Distancing people from contact with sewage and its products as much as is practicable
- Effective collection, treatment, and proper disposal of sewage and its by-products
- Effective storm-water management
- Initiatives which support non-council operated and maintained sanitary services to comply with the Health, Building, and Resource Management Acts
Click here for the full position statement that Lakes DHB adopted at its 14 December 2018 meeting.
Skin piercing carries significant risks that can affect health. Lakes District Health Board supports infection control policies that reduce harm from skin piercing.
Lakes District Health Board advocates and supports the following:
- Implementation of any future national regulations such as registration by local government of all tattooists, skin piercing businesses and individuals.
- Implementation of local government bylaws and licensing requirements which apply standards to those persons who practise skin piercing
- Implementation of risk management (infection control) measures by all tattooists, skin piercing businesses and individuals
- The role of territorial authorities to actively administer the provisions of the Health Act 1956 and any other relevant legislation, policies, and bylaws
- Engaging with the community to raise awareness of the risks associated with skin piercing
Click here for the full position statement that Lakes DHB adopted at its 14 December 2018 meeting
Lakes District Health Board supports measures that reduce the promotion, availability and consumption of Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB), and that inform the public of the health risks associated with SSB consumption.
Sugar sweetened beverages are drinks that contain added sugar. Drinks that commonly have added sugar are soft drinks, fizzy drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks, powdered drinks, cordials, flavoured milks, flavoured waters and iced teas/coffees.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines recommend that ideally, adults should consume less than about six teaspoons of sugar per day, and children less than about three to four teaspoons of sugar per day.
Lakes DHB supports:
- Promotion of water and plain milk as the preferred drinks for children
- A range of actions that can be taken at national land local levels to inform the public of the health risks with SSB consumption
- Actions that can be led by the food industry and retailers
- Promotion of the Ministry of Health Nutrition Guidelines
Click here for the full position statement that Lakes DHB adopted at its 18 August 2017 meeting
Waste disposal and waste minimisation practices have a significant effect on the health of communities.
Lakes District Health Board supports and advocates for waste management practices which are protective of health and for waste minimisation practices which do not increase the risk to health.
Lakes District Health Board advocates and supports the following:
- Waste disposal practices which minimise the risks to health
- The provision of accessible and affordable waste disposal including the safe transport of such waste
- Waste minimisation practices which do not increase the health risk or pose a nuisance to the health of the public
- The New Zealand Waste Strategy (2010) which aims to reduce the harmful effects of waste and to improve the efficiency of resource use
- Initiatives which support the implementation of the Waste Minimisation and Health Acts
- Identification and implementation of waste management and minimisation practices at all levels of Council planning
- Active administration of relevant legislation, policies and bylaws by local government in the Lakes district
- Initiatives by businesses and industries to minimise the creation of waste at source
- Implementation of waste management and minimisation initiatives by resource users.
Click here for the full position statement that Lakes DHB adopted at its 14 December 2018 meeting.