Public Health
Health Matters
Council has a duty of care to promote appropriate standards of public health and this is accomplished through Council's Environmental Health Officer who operates under the South Australia Public Health Act 2011 and associated Regulations, advocating public health through the prevention of disease, environmental protection and the control of insanitary conditions.
Issues the EHO can assist you with include, food safety and food complaints, septic tank and plumbing approvals, inspections and complaints, Immunisation services, mosquito control and mosquito borne diseases and other environmental issues including some of the following;
- Health Premises Inspections
- Vermin, rodents and other pests
- Swimming Pools and Spa Pools
- Keeping of animals
- Cooling Towers
- Hairdressers, Beauty Salons & Tattooists
- Headlice
- Mosquitoes
- Wastewater Management
- food poisoning outbreaks - see food safety
- Immunisation
Health Premises Inspections
Health premises are those businesses that are required to comply with specific legislation or codes of practice. They generally present a higher possible risk of disease transmission due to the nature of the activity and the large number of people attending those premises. Council conducts inspections of these premises to ensure they are complying with applicable standards and codes of practice.
Health premises include:
- Hairdressers / Beauty Therapists
- Skin penetration / Tattooists
- Public swimming pools and spas
- Child care centres and kindergartens
- Supported Residential Facilities
- Premises with cooling towers and warm water systems
- Wastewater installations (i.e. septic tanks, aerobic systems)
Vermin, Rodents and other pests
Rats & Mice
Rodents are a well-known risk to public health due to their ability to spread a variety of serious diseases. They can also cause significant damage to properties due to their need to keep their teeth short by gnawing. Rats are usually nocturnal and if seen during daylight hours usually signify a large rat population, an abundance of food or the rats may be affected by poison bait. Environmental Health Officers investigate reports of suspected rat infestations and if necessary may require the owner or occupier of premises to carry out work on the premises such that rat harbourage is minimised. Compliance with such requests is encouraged, as non-compliance may result in a notice being served. Penalties may apply.
European Wasps
The European wasp is an introduced pest to Australia, our mild climate has allowed it to survive and flourish. Control of their numbers is important to ensure they do not impact unfavourably on our lifestyle and environment. These pests are often attracted to our picnics, barbecues and other outdoor activities. Unfortunately they enjoy the same types of food that we do, such as meat and sweet foods. Do not aggravate the wasp as it may sting and unlike a bee the European wasp can sting multiple times. If left undisturbed, however, the wasp is not aggressive to humans or animals.
Having wasps around on a regular basis indicates that there is a nest nearby. It is important that the nest be located and destroyed. If you find a nest site, it is very important not to disturb it - disturbing the nest may result in repeated stings. If a European wasp nest is found call the Council's Environmental Health Officer and we will investigate your request and if necessary arrange for pest contractor to destroy the nest.
For further information and photos of European wasps please click here.
Please note that Council only provides treatment for European wasps and not for native wasps such as Paper wasps and Mud wasps. If you are unsure of the type of wasp you have please click here for further information.
Should you require further information, please contact the Environmental Health Officer on 1300 785 277 or Email council@coorong.sa.gov.au.
Swimming Pools and Spa Pools
Public swimming pools and spas are routinely monitored to ensure that the water quality complies with the legislative requirements and that the facilities are properly maintained. Council has 5 public pools that the EHO inspects on a regular basis. There are no legislative controls that deal specifically with water quality in private pools and spas but should these facilities not be properly maintained on private premises (e.g. allowing mosquito breeding in dirty pool water) Council's Environmental Health Officer may require the owners to take action under the SA Public Health Act.
Council's Environmental Health Officer deals with customer enquiries and concerns relating to all of the above topics. If you need to lodge a complaint you can do so by contacting the Environmental Health Officer at Council.
Cooling Towers
Cooling towers are used extensively in commercial and industrial buildings as an aid to manufacturing processes and as part of air conditioning systems. As the name implies, these towers cool water that has been heated and in the cooling process, fine mist aerosols may escape into the atmosphere. Microbial growth can occur in cooling tower systems if they are not properly maintained resulting in a biofilm. This biofilm can provide food and shelter to support the growth of Legionella bacteria, which is the cause of Legionnaires' Disease.
Environmental Health Officers are required to conduct routine monitoring of registered cooling towers within the Council area to ensure that proper standards are maintained.
If you have a new premises containing a cooling tower, please contact Council to notify us of its existence. If you are an existing business and have cooling tower(s) on site, please contact Council on 1300 785 277.
Hairdressers, Beauty Salons & Tattooists
The Coorong District Council has numerous premises registered with Council and are considered to practice hairdressing and/or skin penetration. These businesses notify Council of their existence so that they can be inspected to ensure they have safe and hygienic practices. Council provides them with any changes in legislation, codes of practice, or guidelines when necessary.
The Department of Health has produced Guidelines on the Public Health Standards for Hairdressing and Guidelines on the Safe and Hygienic Practice of Skin Penetration. These can be found at:
Hairdressing
Skin Penetration
Head Lice
Surprisingly there still appears to be a social stigma associated with the occurrence of head lice in children. Lice infest males and females of all socio-economic positions and age groups. Council's Environmental Health Officer is available to give advice on the proper treatment of head lice.
The two most common head lice treatment methods are 'wet combing' and 'chemical' treatment:
- 'Wet combing' involves wetting hair and scalp liberally with hair conditioner to stun the head lice, then combing the head lice and nits out
- 'Chemical' treatment uses 'pediculicides' which kill the head lice.
There is a reading material available about head lice that can be found at the Department of Health
In addition please see the Council's informative slide show.
Immunisation
The Council is a broker for the Department of Health for school based immunisation servies and have two (2) local subcontractors who provide the services to schools within the area. Council contributes to the School Based Immunisation Program with an equivalent amount of funding to that allocated by the Department of Health to ensure that appropriate medical professionals deliver this service.
For childhood immunisation services please contact your local Medical Centre for advice.
For additonal information on any of the above matters please contact Council's Environmental Health Officer on 1300 785 277 or email council@coorong.sa.gov.au.