Episode Five: A New EHOpe (EHO Knows)
Make it Known
Made as a companion to Episode Five of the EHO Knows podcast. Listen today:
It’s a strange reality that the people responsible for protecting our food, water, public spaces, and health systems are often the least recognised by the communities they serve. Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) exist in every local government area in Australia, yet many community members and even council executives don’t really know what they do.
In Episode 5 of EHO Knows, Sarah Ainsworth, President of Environmental Health Australia (NSW), joins Shane for a candid discussion on the state of environmental health. But more than just airing frustrations, the conversation shines a light on what’s needed to safeguard the profession’s future: structural reform, community awareness, and a shift in how EHOs are perceived, especially by the systems they support.
Being 'Too Good' at Your Job
As Sarah notes in the episode, EHOs often go unnoticed because when they do their jobs well, nothing goes wrong. Food doesn’t poison people. Water doesn’t make them sick. Hazardous conditions don’t escalate. Silence, is a standing ovation. But it’s this invisibility that has allowed the profession to become underfunded, misunderstood, and often devalued. Worse still, as the scope of environmental health has expanded, so too has the burden on EHOs without a matching increase in resources, staffing, or political support. Local governments are being delegated state-level responsibilities, but without funding, training, or even formal recognition of qualifications in legislation. It’s a dangerous paradox
Time to rebrand
There’s no shortage of passion among EHOs. But when it comes to promoting the profession both to councils and the general public the message often gets lost in translation. Say “health inspector,” and people assume you’re only checking kitchens. Say “environmental health,” and they picture radiation or chemical spills. This identity gap isn’t just semantic, it’s financial. Funding, respect, and career progression are deeply tied to how well others understand the value of EHOs. As Sarah says, if the people writing the budgets don’t understand what you do, they won’t invest in it.
So the challenge becomes: how do you describe environmental health in one sentence, at a barbecue, in a council chamber, or at a career day and actually make it stick? Because if EHOs don’t define who they are, someone else will.
The Role of EHOs
This episode doesn’t just highlight the problems facing environmental health, it makes a case for collective action. EHOs can’t afford to work in isolation. They need to lean into their community, share resources, and speak with a unified voice. Whether it’s advocating for better funding, or simply helping people understand what EHOs do, the profession needs to be seen. It needs to be valued. And it needs to be protected.
Episode 5: A New EHOpe
In episode five of EHO Knows, host Shane sits down with Sarah Ainsworth, President of Environmental Health Australia (NSW), for the first of a two-part discussion on the future of environmental health.
With councils increasingly under-resourced and environmental health professionals facing growing responsibilities without proper recognition this episode isn’t just about the struggles EHOs face—it’s about solutions. Sarah highlights how Environmental Health Australia is working to raise awareness, push for legislative reform, and ensure that
