Local government and sun protection
SunSmart home
Most aspects of local government policy and practice have an effect on the health of the community.
Local government plays a key role in the development of the physical environments in which we live, work, commute and take leisure: swimming pools, playgrounds and children's services.
It also employs or contracts large outdoor work forces to maintain roads, parks and other facilities.
This guide highlights and suggests strategies to strengthen sun protection activities in local government.
Local government can provide the Tasmanian community with sun protection through:
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planning and designing effective shade for public spaces such as parks, playgrounds, recreation facilities and streetscapes
scheduling community events to avoid the most dangerous time of day (10:00am until 3:00pm)
providing sun protection information
ensuring that Council employees practise sun protection
providing sun protection merchandise at Council venues
encouraging and supporting community groups and organisations to participate in programs that help prevent skin cancer; for example the SunSmart Schools Program
directing community groups to The Cancer Council Tasmania to arrange skin cancer guest speakers
Employees
Develop a UV radiation protection program that covers indoor, outdoor and contract employees (follow above link). Such a policy will ensure council employees are protected whenever they are outside and are educated and aware of the importance of sun protection.
Residents
Implement sun protection guidelines and provide shade at all Council owned or operated facilities such as sporting grounds, pools, childcare centres, nursing homes and school holiday programs. Intensify the effect of your efforts by collaborating with other service providers such as community health services, doctors and pharmacists who are also working towards skin cancer control.
Work with early childhood centres to help them gain official SunSmart status.
Obtain SunSmart posters and fact sheets for display at Council premises. We can also help you prepare SunSmart articles to include in your council newsletter or bulletin or in your local newspaper. Include sun protection tips in brochures for tourists and visitors to your municipality.
Outdoor public events
Make sure sun protection is part of the grand plan for all outdoor community events that you organise. Plan a SunSmart display, competition or promotion as part of your outdoor summer activities.
Resources for planning and designing effective shade
Shade in public spaces checklist 
Planning tool for designing
safe and healthy communities
Shade for everyone: A practical
guide for shade development (developed in Victoria)
Resources to ensure outdoor public events are SunSmart
Outdoor event sample
policy
Checklist for planning a sun smart event
Free SunSmart information sheets, posters and brochures are available from the Cancer Council Tasmania phone 6233 2030.
For more information call The Cancer Council Helpline 13 11 20
