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Creating healthier communities in the Somerset and Southern Downs regions
September 30, 2025
Healthy Lifestyles Australia’s (HLA) PHN-funded Empowering Local Health Program is helping rural and regional communities in the Southern Downs and Somerset regions to take charge of their health.
As of January 2024, around one in seven people (13%) who regularly attend a general practice in the region were reported to have two or more chronic conditions. However, the Somerset (22%) and South Burnett (21%) regional areas reported the highest rates in the region (DDWMPHN, 2024).
By combining clinical services with community-based initiatives, HLA’s Empower Program is creating sustainable, long-term change by addressing key risk factors including obesity, smoking, high alcohol consumption, low exercise rates and poor nutrition, as well as the physical and socio-economic environment.
In Lowood and Fernvale, HLA have supported the implementation of new Heart Foundation walking groups, encouraging locals to connect, stay active, and champion healthy lifestyles together. These groups are designed to keep momentum going well beyond program delivery, ensuring communities have ownership and longevity of outcomes.
The program has also expanded into exercise groups, including both hydrotherapy (Lowood and Fernvale) and land-based classes like their popular Allora exercise self-management class. These sessions not only provide immediate support but also equip participants with skills and confidence to continue exercising independently at home.
The PHN’s most recent reporting indicated that diabetes and cardiovascular conditions each affect around 5% of region’s population, with the prevalence of both higher than national averages (PHIDU, 2021).
With HLA’s Credentialled Diabetes Educators providing services across the region, residents are gaining improved access to specialised care that helps them better understand and manage their condition.
HLA Managing Director, Brady Schluz, reflected on the program’s capacity-building focus within the community:
“Whether it’s through walking groups, education sessions, or access to diabetes support, we want to create opportunities for people to feel confident in their ability to maintain healthy changes for life.
We’ve also seen the popularity of one-on-one support sessions with our allied health professionals, which demonstrates the value people place on having personalised care alongside community-based initiatives,” said Mr Schulz.
GPs, practice nurses, and other healthcare professionals can learn more about the program or how to refer patients in the Somerset or Southern Downs who require a dietitian, exercise physiology, or diabetes education by visiting below.
