Staff Share Insights and Innovations to Address Physical Inactivity
04 Nov 2025
The event gathered more than 250 leaders, health professionals, and community representatives under the theme “Accelerating action – tackling inactivity and inequity,” calling for cross-sector collaboration to support healthier, more active communities.
SWSPHN representatives – Nisha Nair, Alyssa Horgan, and Luke Swain – attended the symposium. Nisha participated in a panel on “Embedding physical activity into health systems,” sharing insights from SWSPHN’s HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Lifestyle) program.
HEAL is an eight-week, evidence-based program designed to support individuals with, or at risk of, type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease through improved nutrition, increased physical activity, and sustainable behaviour change.
During the panel, Nisha highlighted how HEAL fosters collaboration:
“HEAL provides adaptable templates for communication, flexible exercise options, and opportunities for health education. We’ve commissioned service providers across our region and aim to support over 200 people through the program,” she said.
She also noted ongoing efforts to expand HEAL for different population groups and strengthen connections between facilitators, GPs, and allied health professionals.
The symposium, opened by Penrith Deputy Mayor Garion Thain and featuring NSW Health Minister Ryan Park, showcased over 40 speakers from health, sport, government, academia, and community sectors. Discussions focused on systems leadership, community-led initiatives, and cross-sector collaboration.
Reflecting on building workforce capability to promote physical activity, Nisha shared an experience from a youth refugee expo:
“We ran a push-up competition to raise awareness about physical activity. Volunteer interpreters played a key role in bridging language and health literacy gaps, and you could see the ‘lightbulb moment’ when they realised their impact.”
The event also marked the launch of the WSYD Moving Systems Leadership Course, a new initiative to enhance collaboration across sectors.
WSYD Moving Convenor David Burns noted that physical inactivity costs Western Sydney more than $1.5 billion annually:
“We can’t solve this alone — it takes all of us working together. This symposium brings the system together to reduce inequity and promote active lifestyles.”
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Source: South Western Sydney PHN (SWSPHN)
