Local Councils & Public Health

Safe Health Zones (SHZ) – Community-Level Pilot Concept

Purpose of this page

This page provides context for local councils, public health units, and community wellbeing teams regarding the Safe Health Zones (SHZ) concept, and explains why residents, workers, or organisations may request council consideration of SHZ as a small-scale, time-limited public health pilot.

The intent is not to seek approval or funding, but to enable informed review and referral through appropriate council processes.

What Safe Health Zones (SHZ) are

Safe Health Zones (SHZ) are a post-shift, voluntary recovery framework designed to be explored through tightly scoped pilots in communities with significant night work or extended-hour activity.

Key characteristics include:

  • Use only after individuals have completed work and clocked off

  • Voluntary participation

  • Quiet, non-interactive recovery

  • No productivity, compliance, or behavioural monitoring

  • No clinical treatment or medical intervention

  • Designed to be low-infrastructure, low-risk, and reversible

  • Intended to support post-shift physiological decompression

SHZ do not operate as employment programs and do not alter industrial arrangements.

What SHZ are not (council clarity)

Safe Health Zones are explicitly not:

  • Workplaces or employment facilities

  • Medical or therapeutic services

  • Public order or enforcement initiatives

  • Surveillance or data-gathering environments

  • Permanent infrastructure commitments

Any pilot consideration remains subject to council governance and statutory obligations.

Why SHZ may be raised with councils

SHZ are being raised in the context of community-level health considerations, including:

  • The health impacts of night work and circadian disruption

  • Fatigue-related commute incidents within LGAs

  • Cumulative wellbeing impacts in logistics, health, and essential services

  • Equity of health support for non-standard workers

Residents or workers may request council review to determine whether SHZ aligns with existing public health, wellbeing, or prevention strategies.

Scope of council consideration

Any council engagement with SHZ would typically be limited to:

  • Preliminary review or referral to public health teams

  • Assessment of alignment with community wellbeing objectives

  • Identification of regulatory, land-use, or compliance considerations

  • Determination of whether further exploration is appropriate

NaturismRE does not request councils to adopt, fund, or endorse SHZ.

About the community request template

A neutral request template is provided for residents, workers, or organisations who wish to raise SHZ with councils.

The template:

  • Uses non-activist, procedural language

  • Avoids assumptions about land, funding, or approval

  • Respects council decision-making processes

  • Allows councils to decline without pressure

Access the council request template

Download the Word version:
Community / Resident Request

Position statement

NaturismRE positions Safe Health Zones solely as an exploratory public-health concept.

Any pilot consideration must remain:

  • Voluntary

  • Time-limited

  • Law-compliant

  • Subject to council governance and community consultation

This page exists to provide clarity and prevent misinterpretation.

Clause de non-responsabilité

This page is provided for informational purposes only.
It does not constitute public health advice, planning advice, or a recommendation to implement any program.
Council consideration does not imply endorsement or obligation.