Environmental Health Team
Did you know that the City of Mitcham has a dedicated Environmental Health Team? This team is required to fulfill Council’s obligations under Public Health Act 2011 as set out by the State Government. It is certainly not a team I knew much about before joining Council or the very important work that they do.
The Environmental Health team is responsible for regular inspections of:
Food serving or handling premises
Public swimming pools
Tattoo parlours
Cooling towers (to prevent outbreaks of legionella)
Septic Tanks
They also deal with more complex issues such as:
Pest control
Insanitary / hoarding properties
Other public health issues such as asbestos, mosquitos etc
Often these more complex issues will involve co-ordinating with other Government agencies.
A substantial proportion of the team’s time is taken up managing food safety across the city at the 377 different businesses that have some interaction with food. This includes food safety inspections and star ratings (the SA Government scheme), audits for high-risk locations and implementing food safety training.
Community Centre Resourcing
For a very long time now, the significant benefits of community centres with vibrant and engaging activity programs (rather than just halls for hire) have been well documented. Despite the invaluable role that they can play in fostering community connections and reducing loneliness, Mitcham’s community centres have typically followed the “hall for hire” model. This started changing under the previous Council with Pasadena Community Centre being funded to deliver wide-ranging programs for the local community, something which has been extremely successful.
This term of Council, the chamber has continued to support community centres by expanding the funding for Pasadena and as of last month, funding additional resources for the Blackwood Community Centre (BCC) at Tiwu Kumangka. These resources include additional staff to:
Complement and support the fantastic work of the many volunteers at the BCC
Expand the range of programs on offer for all ages
Allow for external hiring (including after-hours) for this facility and the new Karinya Reserve Community Hall
Help establish a Local History Service presence
Activating the art gallery spaces to showcase works by local artists
If you haven't already checked out the wide range of exciting activities offered at Tiwu Kumangka such as chess, DrumFIT, freestyle aerobics and the repair cafe, make sure to visit Council’s website or drop in for more information.
Have a wonderful Christmas and holiday period – 2025 is going to be another very busy year!