LGIS’ Health and Wellbeing initiative for the entire local government sector, the Great West Aussie Adventure, is back in September 2025 encouraging everyone from Kununurra to Ravensthorpe and Leonora to Gosnells to get moving.
This will be the third year LGIS delivers the challenge to members. In 2024 over 40 members got involved with nearly 700 active participants reaping the rewards of increased daily movement. Collectively they travelled 211,604 km.
Importantly, everyone can participate in the challenge, even the smallest amount of movement will make a difference to an individual’s health, and contribute to the teams score, not everyone needs to be a marathon runner!
Congratulations to the Shire of Yilgarn who were award their Tier 3 Silver diligence in Safety Award. James Sheridan, CEO LGIS and Christ Gilmour, Risk Specialist – Regional visited the Shire on Tuesday 26 February to meet the Yilgarn team and present the award.
Stopping income compensation payments can be a tricky matter for LGIS members to determine. We’re aware there’s a growing number of local governments that have stopped payment when they shouldn’t have, leading to a large back pay bill and potential $10,000 fine from WorkCover WA.
Stopping income compensation payments can be a tricky matter for LGIS members to determine. We’re aware there’s a growing number of local governments that have stopped payment when they shouldn’t have, leading to a large back pay bill and potential $10,000 fine from WorkCover WA.
2024 results
Over the past five years, there have been 218 claims related to body-stressing injuries within the sector. Notably, machine operators rank as the second highest risk occupation for such injuries, surpassed only by workers in parks and gardens.
The elevated risk for machine operators stems from several hazardous characteristics inherent to the role.
These include maintaining sustained postures that strain the back and legs, performing highly repetitive movements involving the wrists, hands, and fingers, and adopting awkward postures when operating machinery or accessing and egressing equipment. Additionally, exposure to whole-body vibration further contributes to the physical stress experienced by workers in this role.
From a broader perspective on workplace safety, LGIS has observed a concerning increase in injury claims related to slips, trips, missteps, and falls. These incidents now account for approximately 20% of all worker compensation claims and represent 40% of claims associated with hazardous manual tasks.
Understanding these risks is crucial for implementing effective safety measures and reducing the incidence of injuries across the sector.
The Great West Aussie Adventure is the perfect opportunity for LGIS members to support their people in being more active. By encouraging movement, more incidental exercise or ‘exercise snacking,’ members will see their teams making wellbeing gains.
A 2019 study published in The Journal of Physiology found that workouts less than 15 minutes long, which included a warm-up, cool-down, and less than five minutes of vigorous exercise, could improve blood sugar control as well as heart and lung function — changes which contribute to reducing heart and chronic disease risk.
Additionally, a study published in January 2022 in the Journal Exercises and Sports Science Review found that performing short bouts (one minute or less) of vigorous exercise — which they referred to as “exercise snacks” — at intervals throughout the day was a “feasible, well-tolerated, and time-efficient approach” to improving heart and lung health and reducing the impact of a sedentary lifestyle on cardiac and metabolic health.
A further study published in December 2022 in Nature Medicine reported that participants who did three bouts of activity per day lasting about one or two minutes each, had a 38%-40% reduction in all-cause and cancer mortality risk (risk of early death), as well as a 48%-49% reduction in risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
Each local government will be automatically set up as a team, with all staff encouraged to register and take part. Registration will open 1 August 2025.
Any physical activity can be entered into the online portal, including walking, cycling, gardening and more! The system will convert your activity type, time and intensity into distance on a virtual map across WA, and you can see your average and total distance progress through the state… as well as other teams!
The winner will be based on the average distance covered within each team; however total distance covered by teams will hold the bragging rights!
It doesn’t matter if 1 or 100 staff register, everyone is encouraged to participate and represent their local government (results are averaged based on team members).
The challenge is open to all local government staff, so encourage all your staff to participate!
Keep an eye out for the registration email and promotional posters. You can also contact WorkCare Services manager, James Larkin at [email protected] for more information.
This year marks the significant milestone of the 30th anniversary of LGIS. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the remarkable journey we have undertaken together over the past three decades. Since our founding in 1995, LGIS has evolved from a practical response to emerging risks into a pioneering mutual scheme that proudly serves the diverse needs of Western Australia’s local governments.
1 July 2025 marked an historic moment for LGIS, on the same day 30 years ago that the Scheme launched. A lot has changed over that time, but the core purpose remains – local governments working together through a mutual to protect their people, organisations and communities.
Research from the BMC Public Health Journal conducted in 2024 indicated that 61.75% of truck drivers develop some form of musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) during their career. This alarming statistic will almost certainly be applicable to the wide range of roles undertaken by the local government sector throughout WA.
