ResourceSmart Healthcare program

What is ResourceSmart Healthcare?

The ResourceSmart Healthcare program has been developed by Sustainability Victoria, the Department of Health and the Department of Sustainability and Environment to support Government requirements for the expansion of environmental management systems to public healthcare agencies.

ResourceSmart Healthcare is targeted to the specific needs of healthcare agencies, recognising relevant Australian Council of Healthcare Standards Accreditation requirements. The program also recognises specific healthcare facility types, governance arrangements, budget sensitivities and unique environmental impacts.

The program includes:

• assistance in developing and implementing an environmental policy, appropriate environmental objectives and targets and an effective environmental management strategy covering all elements of sustainability - water, energy, waste and recycling, transport, biodiversity, procurement, behaviour, operations and service delivery
• complementary information resources
• networking workshops
• a rewards and recognition scheme.

Joining ResourceSmart Healthcare saves time and effort in developing and implementing an environment management program consistent with Government policy commitments.

To ensure relevant and comprehensive environmental management programs for healthcare facilities, ResourceSmart Healthcare is being rolled out to all public healthcare agencies by 2010-11.

What Government policy commitments does ResourceSmart address?

Key high level commitments include:

Victoria's Environmental Sustainability Framework (ESF)

Specific commitments in relation to Government operations:

• Departments and agencies will include strategic directions in all their business and operational planning, including their EMSs.
• The Government will build environmental sustainability into planning and operations of all departments, and government policies, programs, regulations, investments and budgets.

Our Environment Our Future: Environmental Sustainability Action Statement

• Commits to the expansion of EMSs into statutory agencies [including healthcare agencies] by 2011.
• Commits to implementing the directions of the Environmental Sustainability Framework into Government's own day to day operations.

The Government has a large number of specific policy commitments to cut its day to day environmental impacts.  A comprehensive list of these is provided in the ResourceSmart Healthcare toolkit.

Who is eligible to join?

The program is open to all public sector healthcare agencies.  A similar program known as ResourceSmart Government, has been developed for other statutory authorities, state owned corporations, boards, advisory bodies, police and emergency services and water and land management authorities.  Other programs have also been commenced for education facilities.

It is likely that community healthcare facilities owned by non-government organisations will be included in future stages.