Public Health Unit

Our Mission

To protect, promote, improve and maintain the health of the population in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District by providing professional, high quality public health services, education, research, information and interventions.

Contacting Us

Wollongong Office
Monday-Friday
(8:30am - 5:00pm)
Locked Mail Bag 9 Wollongong NSW 2500
Tel: 1300 066 055

Fax: 02 4221 6759

For urgent matters outside of business hours, please phone the Wollongong Hospital on 02 4222 5000 and ask for the Public Health Officer on call.

What do we do?

The role of the Public Health Unit is to identify, prevent and minimise public health risks to the community: these risks may be infectious, chemical or radiological in nature. They may be caused by other humans, by animals and by the inanimate environment.

The Public Health Unit's regulatory responsibilities are largely defined by NSW legislation, i.e. the Public Health Act 2010, the Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2008 and the Smoke-free Environment Act 2000.

Public health staff work closely with general practitioners, community nurses and hospital-based clinicians, pathology laboratories, schools and childcare centres, with local councils and with other government agencies to protect the public health. Food poisoning outbreaks are investigated jointly by the Public Health Unit and the NSW Food Authority. We will also respond to complaints from the public concerning significant risks to public health.

Please note: The Public Health Unit no longer has a role in investigating general food related complaints, except in the case of notifiable diseases relating to possible food contamination in two or more cases. All enquiries regarding issues such as foreign matter in food, food recalls, unhygienic premises, food handling and food safety should be directed to your Local Council or the NSW Food Authority on 1300 552 406.

More information

Visit the NSW Health website for more information about public health in NSW. 

Disclaimer: The links above are to agencies and other organisations that contain useful information. These links do not imply any endorsement, support or commercial gain by Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District.