All heart at Dandy council

Tackling heart disease earned Greater Dandenong Council a state award and the chance to take home a national prize.
Heart Foundation Victoria CEO Kellie-Ann Jolly presented the council with the ‘Councils with populations greater than 25,000’ Heart Foundation Local Government Award at the Municipal Association Victoria’s (MAV) annual conference in Melbourne on Thursday 8 September.
The council is now in the running for the national award, to be announced later this year.
“The City of Greater Dandenong won this award due to two excellent initiatives that were backed by sound community consultation and encourage more physical activity in the community,” Ms Jolly said.
“The judges were impressed with the Ross Reserve Youth and Urban Skate Park, which has become a state of the art skate park and youth precinct that provides more social and recreational opportunities for the community – particularly families, children and young people.
“The Greater Dandenong Walking Strategy, which was endorsed last year, also demonstrates an increased commitment to walkability with a range of improvements and activities already in place.”
Ms Jolly said the awards were in their 24th year and recognised the outstanding achievements of local governments in the fight against heart disease – the single biggest killer of Australian men and women.
“Local governments play a pivotal role in introducing structural change, implementing policies and creating supportive environments which allow people to be physically active, reduce smoking and improve their nutrition,” she said.