Torres Strait and Northern Queensland communities will be better supported to make healthy choices and improve their health and wellbeing under a new partnership between the region’s remote store operator and healthcare provider.
Community Enterprise Queensland (CEQ) and the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) have signed a transformative Heads of Agreement (HoA), reaffirming their shared commitment to Close the Gap in social, economic, health and wellbeing outcomes for Torres Strait, Northern Peninsula Area and Cape York communities.
The historic three-year agreement outlines a collaborative framework for developing strategic and innovative methods to support healthy lifestyles.
Community Enterprise Queensland (CEQ) and the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) have committed to working together to improve health outcomes for Torres Strait, Northern Peninsula Area and Cape York communities.
From left: TCHHS Health Service Chief Executive Rex O’Rourke, CEQ Nutrition and Health Manager Melinda Hammond, CEQ Board Member Dr Mark Wenitong, TCHHS Board Chair Renee Williams, CEQ Chief Executive Officer Michael Dykes, TCHHS Board Member Dr Don Bowley OAM and TCHHS Board Member Dr Gavin Cleland.
CEQ Board Member and Kabi Kabi man, Dr Mark Wenitong, said the focus was on preventive health through measures such as good nutrition and equitable access to healthy foods.
“By collaborating with Torres and Cape HHS and using health data to inform nutrition education, we can ensure healthier options are available in our stores and support our customers to make healthy choices every day,” said Dr Wenitong.
“This builds on CEQ’s Healthy Ways campaign, which celebrates the strength and wisdom of traditional practices that have supported health and wellbeing for generations.
“The campaign highlights the power of whole foods, drinking water, cooking and eating with family, growing strong kids, active living, and nourishing ourselves from the land and sea.
“We are excited to work with Torres and Cape HHS and the communities we both serve to provide better health support to our customers across Northern Queensland and the Torres Strait.”
Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Board Chair Renee Williams said the new agreement would foster innovative solutions that created healthier and more resilient communities.
“We are already seeing it have a positive impact, with Torres and Cape HHS teams amplifying CEQ’s Healthy Ways campaign through our primary healthcare centres and activities in community,” she said.
“By leveraging our combined resources and expertise, we will work together to implement innovative strategies and programs that address both immediate and long-term health challenges across our regions.
“We want the communities of Torres and Cape to be the healthiest they can be, and partnerships such as this are vital to improving health outcomes and forging a better future for the Far North.”
About CEQ
CEQ is a not-for-profit organisation responsible for providing goods and essential services to the Torres Strait, Cape York Peninsula and in Doomadgee and on Palm Island through its 31 stores. Of all the remote team members employed at CEQ, 90 per cent identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
CEQ manages Islanders Board of Industry and Service (IBIS) and Aboriginal Business, Industry and Service (ABIS) stores, as well as other stores including Col Jones, Mona’s Bazaar and Mitre 10 on Waibene and Community Home & Hardware in Bamaga.
For more information on CEQ, visit www.ceqld.org.au
