The Climate Health WA Inquiry will hold public formal hearings into the impact of climate change on health in Western Australia, commencing Thursday 3 October.
The purpose of the hearings is to explore in more detail issues raised in written submissions to the Inquiry.
Dr Tarun Weeramanthri will conduct the hearings to be held at the State Administrative Tribunal.
Two of the hearings will hear from well-known climate health experts.
Fiona Armstrong, founder and Executive Director of the Climate and Health Alliance, will represent members of organisations in the healthcare sector from a range of disciplines including healthcare service providers, institutions, academics, researchers and consumers. This hearing will be held on 31 October at 2.00pm.
Anthony Capon, Director of Monash Sustainable Development Institute and contributor to the MJA-Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, is a public health physician and authority in environmental health and health promotion, with a research focus on urbanisation, sustainable development and human health. This hearing will be held on 28 November at 9.00am.
Up to thirty hearings are scheduled to run until Thursday 12 December.
Members of the public are welcome to attend, but are required to register as seating is limited. Registrations, which close on Tuesdays before each hearing, can be made via the Inquiry website.
The public formal hearings are part of the broader public consultation process to inform the final report to the Minister, due in March 2020.
The Inquiry was a key recommendation of the Sustainable Health Review Final Report to reduce the health systems environmental footprint (energy use, water use, emissions) and ensure mitigation and adaption strategies are in place to respond to health impacts and risks of climate change.
The Inquiry will aim to strengthen how communities and health services address key climate change vulnerabilities, and make preparations to reduce harmful health impacts for Western Australians.
To view the public formal hearing schedule or register, visit health.wa.gov.au/climatehealthwa