Health and Wellbeing Queensland is proud to be involved in a new collaborative initiative that is supporting Australian Defence Force (ADF) veterans in Greater Springfield, south of Brisbane, to improve their health and wellbeing as they transition to civilian life.
Springfield, one of Australia’s fastest-growing master-planned cities, is home to a significant and growing veteran population. Many veterans in the region have reported low levels of physical activity and increased risk of chronic disease and at high risk for poor mental health, highlighting the importance of early, preventative intervention.
At the centre of this initiative is Active Choices, a 12-week, evidence-based physical activity and social prescribing program designed to support veterans to move more, build social connections and improve overall wellbeing.
‘Changing the systems we live in is a key part of a holistic preventive health approach, and ABC Healthcare’s successes is demonstrating that in spades.’
ABC Healthcare ensures that healthier food and drinks are easily accessible, strategically placed, promoted, and competitively priced.
Among the HHSs embracing and promoting the Strategy are Queensland Children’s Hospital, Cairns and Hinterland, and Sunshine Coast.
All retail outlets at Queensland Children’s Hospital transitioned to ABC in the past 18 months and achieved 100% of targets for the first time.
Queensland Children’s Hospital Senior Dietitian, Sara O’Neill, said hitting the 100% target was testament to a shared commitment to providing a supportive and healthy environment for Queensland children and their families.
‘As Queensland’s single specialist paediatric hospital, we often care for families who travel long distances and spend extended time away from home, so having balanced and nutritious food options readily available is important,’ Ms O’Neill said.
‘Strong alignment with consumer feedback, which consistently indicated a desire for healthier, fresh and appealing food and drink options, was key to our success,’ she said.
Building on the recognition of an Award for Excellence at the inaugural A Better Choice Healthcare Awards in 2025, Sunshine Coast Health Service’s Jenny O’Dwyer has continued to champion ABC.
‘The commitment, dedication and cooperation of our retailers and vendors is the key to our success,’ said Jenny O’Dwyer.
‘Our retailers work tirelessly to source healthier product alternatives and modify favourite recipes to maintain customer loyalty and satisfaction.
‘Making healthy food and drink options widely available across Sunshine Coast Health, creates an environment where it’s easier for our staff and visitors to make healthy choices and champions a culture of health and wellness.’
Also recognised at the 2025 ABC Awards, was the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation (FNQHF), which received the Transforming Food and Drink Environments award.
This year, for the first time, Cairns and Hinterland HHS (which includes FNQHF among its food and drink outlets) achieved 100% compliance with ABC Healthcare.
FNQHF Social Enterprise Operations Manager, Michael Hooper said that making healthier options accessible, appealing, and affordable encourages strong community uptake.
‘The transition to achieving 100% of the compliance with the A Better Choice Strategy has been overwhelmingly positive.
‘There has been a clear and measurable shift in purchasing behaviour. Over time, customers have increasingly chosen healthier options, particularly when these are well-positioned, clearly labelled, and competitively priced.’
Cairns and Hinterland Food Services Manager, Charlie Kumarage, noted the transition to ABC Healthcare has positively impacted the bottom line, with staff café sales increasing by up to 30% over the past 12 months.
‘We always serve a large variety of meals through the staff cafe, (which also serves our patients). I believe it is essential for an organisation to maintain a healthy workforce; healthy food contributes to a healthier workforce.’
A Better Choice is a Queensland-first public health approach designed to make it easier for Queenslanders to access healthy food and drink options in places outside the home.
Health and Wellbeing Queensland has completed the annual auditing of Health Services against the Health Service Directive: healthier food and drinks at healthcare facilities (HSD) since 2021.
Health and Wellbeing Queensland and Statewide Foodservices Queensland Health continue to actively work with HHSs to help them achieve all targets across the categories.
For further information about Active Choices contact vmh.gmr@gallipoliresearch.org.au or Associate Professor Nick Gilson at The University of Queensland (n.gilson1@uq.edu.au).
