A $150,000 state boost will allow Central Highlands Regional Partnership, an assembly of six local governments, to build a case study for the Lab in a bid to collectively tackle poor health outcomes across the region.

Prevention Lab aims to bring together health professionals, community members and public health advocates from across the Central Highlands.

The Partnership is pushing to increase the number of people across the region meeting healthy eating and physical activity guidelines by five per cent after identifying a common priority to improve health outcomes in all communities.

Initial plans are for councils and shires to work with existing and new partners in a bid to position the Central Highlands as leaders in primary prevention healthcare. Central Highlands Regional Partnership features City of Ballarat, Moorabool, Golden Plains, Hepburn, Ararat and Pyrenees local governments.

The health case boost comes the same time as the state government has delivered a new defibrillator and training package for Ballarat Karate Club. Wendouree MP Sharon Knight confirmed the package, under the Andrews Government’s Defibrillators for Sporting Clubs and Facilities Program, in a visit to the dojo late last week. 

Use of public defibrillators for cardiac arrests has soared four-fold in the past 10 years, from 2.8 per cent to 11 per cent.

The state government roll out has delivered almost 900 defibrillators to grassroots clubs. All new devices appear on the Ambulance Victoria database so triple-zero operators can direct callers to defibrillators when needed.

“This defibrillator package will make sure members at the Ballarat Karate Club have the right equipment and training in case an emergency strikes,” Ms Knight said.

Ms Knight said bystanders could play a critical role in the incident of sudden cardiac arrest, when every second counts. Survival rates rise to 70 per cent when a defibrillator is used within the first few minutes of cardiac arrest.