The Public and Environmental Health Act 1987 and the Food Act 2001 provide the basis for Local Government public and environmental health activities and reporting in South Australia. Under these Acts, Local Government and SA Health are required to prepare and submit annual reports on their environmental health activities and on the standard of public and environmental health within their respective jurisdictions.

It is the purpose of this paper is to stimulate discussion on this issue through the provision of:
• a brief review of the current literature;
• a review of past Public and Environmental Health Act 1987 reports;
• recommendations on methods for the development and application of South Australian local government environmental health indicators; and
• important considerations to be made when doing so.