Health services

Our Environmental Health Officers work to keep you healthy – but everyone has a part to play in creating a safe community. Explore how you can contribute to a healthy community in PAE.

We’re committed to maintaining public health

Our public and environmental health services support our community to be safe and protected from disease and health risks. Learn more about how we respond to public health concerns.

Public health FAQs

Immunisation protects more than you and your child’s health. It helps stop the spread of illness to your family, neighbours, friends and the community. It is a simple, safe and effective way to protect everyone against certain harmful diseases and the City of PAE offers regular immunisation clinics.

Learn more about immunisation

Needles, syringes, intravenous giving sets, lancets and scalpel blades (collectively known as sharps) must be placed in yellow puncture-resistant medical waste sharps containers for safe disposal. Plastic bottles, tins or cartons are not suitable to use for sharps disposal.

Medical waste sharps containers are available for purchase from most pharmacies or Diabetes SA branches. Additionally, you can purchase a 1.4L container for $6.80 or a 5L container for $12 from our Civic Centre.

Sharps containers can’t be disposed of in standard waste bins like general waste, recycling, organics or street litter bins. They can only be disposed of in an approved medical waste bin and must be in an approved medical waste container.

You can drop off your non-commercial medical waste sharps container at one of our disposal centres:

  • Civic Centre, 163 St Vincent Street, Port Adelaide
  • Greenacres Library, 2 Fosters Road, Greenacres

You can also drop off your non-commercial medical waste sharps container at the following pharmacies in our local area:

  • Craig Roberts Pharmacy, 126 Semaphore Road, Semaphore
  • National Pharmacies Semaphore, 103 Semaphore Road, Semaphore
  • Terry White Chemmart Largs Bay, 240 Fletcher Road, Largs Bay
  • National Pharmacies Greenacres, Greenacres Shopping Centre, 132 Muller Road, Greenacres
  • Wonggangga Turtpandi Aboriginal Primary Health Care Service, Corner of Church and Dale Streets, Port Adelaide
  • Priceline Pharmacy North Haven, North Haven Shopping Centre, 16/45–47 Osborne Road, North Haven
  • PharmaSave Alberton, Fussell Place, Alberton
  • Rosewater Pharmacy, 156 Grand Junction Road, Rosewater
  • Star Discount Chemist Shop 1/199 Hampstead Road, Lightsview
  • Terry White Chemmart Gilles Plains, Gilles Plains Shopping Centre, 18/575 North East Road, Gilles Plains
  • Good Price Pharmacy Warehouse, 424B North East Road, Windsor Gardens

If you have any questions about disposing of sharps , contact us on 8405 6600 or send us an email at service@cityofpae.sa.gov.au

If you find a syringe on public land, you can arrange for us to collect the syringe by calling us on 8405 6600 or filling out the online form. Please be as specific as you can about the syringe’s location so we can collect it as soon as possible.

If you find a syringe on private land, you can arrange a cleaning contractor to collect syringes from rental properties or building sites at the property owner’s expense. Council will not collect from private properties.

If it’s unlikely to cause harm, it is always safer to leave the syringes and other sharps where they are and wait for collection. If you do collect a syringe, follow these steps to prevent needle stick injuries:

  • Don’t handle the syringe directly
  • Don’t attempt to break off, bend or cover the sharp end
  • Find a rigid, puncture-resistant container with a wide opening and a secure lid
  • Remove the lid
  • Place the container close to the syringe
  • Use tongs and/or puncture-proof gloves to pick up the syringe and place it in the container sharp end first
  • Secure the lid of the container safely and tightly
  • Wash your hands with soap and water
  • Store the container in a safe location
  • Contact us to arrange collection on 8405 6600 or email service@cityofpae.sa.gov.au

If you experience a needle stick injury:

  • Stay calm
  • Allow the wound to bleed
  • Wash the area with running water and soap, rinse and pat dry
  • Cover the wound with a band-aid or dry dressing
  • Seek urgent medical advice

Hairdressers, tattooists, body piercers, acupuncturists and beauty therapists are inspected once a year by the City of PAE under the South Australian Public Health Act 2011. This helps make sure that safe procedures and practices are used to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS and bacterial infections.

Our Environmental Health Officers provide education in hygienic and non-touch techniques. They can be contacted on 8405 6600 and are always happy to answer questions from businesses wanting to improve their practices.

Hoarding and severe domestic squalor are complex issues, which can have a severe impact on individuals, family members, friends and the wider community. Procedures to prevent or manage severe domestic squalor are outlined in the SA Health Guideline A Foot in the Door.

Our Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) work with impacted residents to ensure the health and safety of the community.

How to report a suspected case of hoarding or squalor:

As of 1 March 2024, there are laws in place in PAE that prevent smoking/vaping within a 10m radius of the entry to council buildings and commercial buildings, at underage sporting activities and at many other locations.

Businesses can visit the SA Health Clear the Air website to view the guide and download signage templates.

Please note that licensed venues are exempt from the laws in outdoor dining spaces, as long as they adhere to the current rules around not serving food in smoking areas. Report people who are not complying with these laws to SA Health on 8226 7100.

We’re committed to community wellbeing

Our 7 Ways to Wellbeing are simple and effective ways to improve your psychological and emotional health:

  • Connect with family, friends and your community. Take time to talk, listen and feel connected
  • Keep learning by trying something new, or brush up on an old skill. Be open to new opportunities. Discover opportunities around PAE in our Activity Guide
  • Be present and take notice of what’s going on for you and around you
  • Be active and find ways to move more every day. Use it to move your mood
  • Give back your time, talent and energy to family, friends and others in your community. Visit our Volunteer page to learn more
  • Eat well, stay hydrated and fuel your body with good foods
  • Sleep well and wind down. Understand how much sleep you need and make time for it

Wellbeing resources

Emergency and crisis support
Other supports