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A.) Introduction to the organisation

The Gold Coast Public Health Unit delivers a range of environmental health and public health
services to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of the Gold Coast community by
addressing factors that cause illness, injury and disease.

Their aim is to minimise adverse health outcomes across the community and prevent re-occurrence
by providing communicable disease control, environmental health and epidemiological services and
immunisation coordination services.
The highly skilled and committed workforce including the service director, epidemiologist, public
health medical officer, public health nurses, environmental health officers and business support staff
who delivers public health services in partnership with Gold Coast Medicare Local, City of Gold
Coast, Griffith University, State Government Agencies and Non-Government Organisations.
Key areas include:
1. Communicable Disease Control
2. Environmental Health Hazards
3. Epidemiology
4. Food Safety and Standards
5. Immunisation
6. Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutics
7. Public Health Incident
8. Tobacco Regulation

9. Water Quality and Fluoridation

10. National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases
11. Alerts and News
1.) Communicable Disease Control
Communicable diseases contribute to mortality and morbidity in the community and are a significant
public health priority.
Gold Coast Public Health Unit is responsible for the early detection, surveillance, investigation and
control of communicable and diseases in the community. In particular, preventing disease spreading
from person to person, from animals to people (zoonotic diseases) and from insects to people
(vector borne diseases).
Key functions
monitor and respond (case management, contact tracing and prevention strategies) to
targeted communicable diseases and conditions notified to Queensland Health under the
Public Health Act 2005, including:
- food and water borne diseases
- vaccine preventable diseases including measles and whooping cough
- serious infections such as meningococcal disease
- mosquito-borne infections such as dengue fever
- infections transmitted to humans from animals including Q Fever, Hendra virus and
Australian Bat Lyssavirus
manage and respond to communicable disease outbreaks and incidents of public health
importance within the community
provide expert communicable disease control advice to and work in partnership with
clinicians, health professionals, governments, industry and the community
provide expert public health advice to health professionals, governments, industry and the
community
develop and implement projects with key partners to prevent and control communicable
diseases in specific settings
monitor, enforce and promote compliance with relevant provisions under the Public Health
Act 2005
2.) Environmental Health Hazards
Environmental health hazards include physical, chemical, biological and social hazards that affect
human health which may be naturally occurring or a result of human activity.
Gold Coast Public Health Unit undertakes health risk assessments and provides advice to other
agencies and the public to mitigate and minimise the impact environmental health hazards, mostly
relating to soil and air, have on individuals and the community.

Key functions
conduct health risk assessments applying knowledge from the areas of public health,
environmental health, epidemiology and toxicology
investigate complaints and notifications relating to asbestos in non-workplace settings,
elevated blood lead levels, non-communicable diseases, cancer clusters and other public
health risks
provide health risk advice on environmental hazards and incidents to government, partners
and the community
monitor and enforce compliance with relevant provisions of the Public Health Act 2005
3.) Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the branch of medicine that studies the causes, distribution and control of disease
across populations. It combines medicine, health sciences, social sciences and statistics to generate
expert and accurate information essential for the delivery of public health services to the Gold Coast
community.
Gold Coast Public Health Unit is responsible for providing epidemiology and health surveillance
services to investigate and monitor disease risks and the health and wellbeing of populations. We
also contribute information gathered on health status and disease trends to the development of
public health policy and preventative health care.
Key functions
recognise disease patterns across the population by monitoring disease data and
undertaking horizon scanning for unusual or emerging communicable disease threats
identify the causes of diseases by statistical analysis of disease data
monitor, analyse and report on trends in data essential for the management, evaluation and
planning of services for the prevention, control and treatment of disease and illness across
the population
4.) Food Safety and Standards
Consumers expect the food they purchase to be safe, of high quality and labelled so they can make
informed choices about the food they eat. Changes in food supply, dining behaviours and food
industry growth increases the risk of foodborne illness outbreaks, misleading claims on foods,
suspected intentional contamination and consumer complaints about food.
Gold Coast Public Health Unit is responsible for monitoring and enforcing certain provisions of the
Food Act 2006 and Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code to ensure food for sale is safe and
suitable for human consumption, to prevent misleading conduct relating to the sale of food and to
ensure food complies with prescribed standards.
Key functions
manage and investigate foodborne illness outbreaks and consumer and industry complaints
relating to food safety and standards

provide expert advice on food safety, composition and labelling of food to businesses and
the community
respond to and investigate prescribed contaminant in food notifications, food recall,
suspected intentional contamination of food incidents and ACCC mandatory reports relating
to food
conduct audits of state school tuckshops, hospitals and other food businesses and undertake
microbiological and compositional food sampling surveys as part of local and statewide
compliance programs
monitor, enforce and promote compliance with the Food Act 2006
work in partnership with key stakeholders including local government and Safe Food
Production Qld

5.) Immunisation
Gold Coast Public Health Unit coordinates the delivery of national and state immunisation programs
within the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service. We work with over 300 Vaccine Service Providers
including General Practitioners, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services and hospitals.
The objective is to maintain and enhance immunisation rates to minimise the incidence of major
vaccine preventable disease for the well-being of individuals and the community.
Key functions
Provide free, accessible immunisation clinics across the Gold Coast to implement the
National Immunisation Program Schedule Queensland
Provide School Immunisation Program to year 7 and 8 students provide immunisation
education and advice to the community
Maintain and increase immunisation coverage rates for vulnerable groups with a focus on
minimising disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians
Provide ongoing education, training and technical support to vaccine service providers
Improve accuracy and quality of immunisation data
Investigate and report on adverse events following immunisation
Investigate cold chain breaches and coordinate intervention strategies.
6.) Medicines, Therapeutics and Poisons
Queensland Health administers legislation to monitor how scheduled medicines and poisons (eg
controlled drugs, restricted drugs, poisons) are obtained, stored and used in Queensland to protect
public health and safety.
Gold Coast Public Health Unit enforces the Health Act 1937, Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation
1996 and the Pest Management Act 2001 to minimise harm from misuse or inappropriate supply or
access to medicines and poisons.

Key functions
investigate consumer and industry complaints relating to controlled, restricted and other
scheduled medicines, poisons, therapeutic goods, pest management and fumigation
conduct compliance audits of pharmacies, hospitals, aged care facilities, veterinarians and
other health professionals, pest management technicians and fumigators as part of local and
statewide compliance programs
assess, grant or recommend suitability for persons to hold licences (eg pest management)
and permits (strychnine, cyanide)
monitor, enforce and promote compliance with the Health Act 1937 and Pest Management
Act 2001.
7.) Partner with the National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases
The National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases is collaboration with Gold Coast
Health and Hospital Services and Griffith University.
The World Health Organisation has reported that neurological disorders are an emerging significant
public health challenge. NCNED undertakes research into neuroimmunological disorders of public
health importance.
These disorders include chronic fatigue syndrome, motor neuron disease and multiple sclerosis.
GCH has contributed vital equipment to the research effort necessary to investigate these and other
neurological disorders.
The Gold Coast Public Health Unit does not however provide direct patient or clinical services under
this collaborative research.
8.) Public Health Incident Management
Major public health incidents can arise from natural disasters including cyclones, bushfires,
heatwaves or disease outbreaks like dengue fever and pandemic influenza. Public health incidents
can also arise from criminal acts, bioterrorism and environmental or food contamination.
Gold Coast Public Health Unit contributes to a multi- agency response during disasters and events.
Our objective is to help prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from events causing public
health risks in the community.
Key functions
prepare, plan and respond to public health risks arising from disasters, pandemics and public
health incidents within local, state and national disaster management arrangements
provide expert advice and work in partnership with government, non- government agencies
and the public regarding public health risks during events
provide public health messages to the public through fact sheets and media
deploy staff to assist in responses to public health events in other jurisdictions

9.) Tobacco Regulation

Tobacco laws in Queensland include smoking bans for indoor and outdoor public places, as well as
tough restrictions on retail advertising, display and promotion of tobacco products.
These laws have directly factored in reducing the publics exposure to environmental tobacco smoke
across the community, contributing to a culture that supports smokers trying to quit and
discouraging young people from taking up smoking.
Gold Coast Public Health Unit is responsible for enforcing Queenslands tobacco laws.
Key functions
investigate public and industry complaints regarding smoking bans in the general community
conduct compliance audits of tobacco retailers, major events, liquor licensed premises,
major sports facilities and other places as part of local and statewide surveillance programs
promote compliance through educational activities
conduct surveillance of tobacco retailers to detect the unlawful supply of smoking products
to minors
monitor, enforce and promote compliance with the Tobacco and Other Smoking Products
Act 1998
10.) Water Quality and Fluoridation
The Gold Coast community predominantly source their household water from reticulated town
supply, dual reticulated town supply and rainwater tanks.
Many factors can cause drinking water to become unsafe for human consumption or use such as
microbial and chemical contamination or contamination from bushfires, cyclones or floods.
Gold Coast Public Health Unit assesses and investigates public health risks associated with
reticulated drinking water provider notifications, dual reticulation cross contamination and recycled
water incidents and fluoridation incidents.
Key functions
respond to public health risks that arise from drinking water quality and recycled water
incidents and notifications in partnership with the Water Supply Regulator and other
agencies
investigate Legionella and other waterborne disease notifications and incidents;
conduct public health risk assessments and provide expert advice on drinking, recycled and
recreation water quality and safety
assist public hospitals with legionella control strategies
investigate complaints and conduct audits of fluoridation facilities at water treatment plants
monitor, enforce and promote compliance with the Public Health Act 2005 and Water
Fluoridation Act 2008