The Central Coast Health and Wellbeing Network began in 2022. The premise of this work was born from the knowledge that the people who live in a community are best placed to identify its strengths, challenges and priorities for their health and wellbeing now and into the future. Health Consumers Tasmania was funded by the Tasmanian Government to support a community-led process that would bring local people, organisations, services and leaders together to improve health and wellbeing outcomes across the Central Coast region. As a part of the Health and Wellbeing Network Project, two other regions were also funded, Dorset in the North East and the Huon Valley in the South. To find out about what happened in these regions, you can see their pages: Huon Valley Voice for Health and Better Health 4 Dorset.
A key part of this work was to ensure that it was led by local people. HCT employed Central Coast local, Lisa Kelly, and new arrival to the Central Coast, Megan Collier, to lead engagement and relationship-building across the region. Their skills, experience and deep commitment to their community were instrumental to the success of this project and this has been widely recognised by both HCT, community members involved and partner organisations. They were (and in some ways continue to be) “the glue” as community member, Eddie Roberts, once said and went above and beyond to see the outcomes that they know their community deserves.
From the outset, relationships were at the heart of the Network’s approach. Rather than focusing solely on services or programs, the work centred on bringing people together, building trust, strengthening connections
and creating a shared understanding of what mattered most to the community. These relationships became the foundation for everything that followed.
Through conversations with residents, community groups, health services, local government and other stakeholders, a picture emerged of both the challenges facing the region and the many strengths already present within the community. This engagement laid the groundwork for the Kitchen Table Conversations, the development of the Central Coast Health and Wellbeing Action Plan, and the establishment of Central Coast Voice for Health to oversee implementation.
While individual projects and initiatives have delivered important outcomes, one of the most significant legacies of the Health and Wellbeing Network has been the relationships that were built along the way. Many of the partnerships, collaborations and community connections formed through this work continue to support positive change across the Central Coast today and are reflected along the journey of the project in the region.