About the Western Public Health Unit
The Western Public Health Unit (WPHU) is one of three metropolitan Local Public Health Units (LPHUs) and alongside six regional LPHUs, forms a collaborative Network to deliver frontline public health for Victoria.
The LPHU Network works closely with the Victorian Department of Health to provide for local and regional responses to communicable and non-communicable diseases through community partnerships and local public health initiatives.
Led and coordinated by Western Health, WPHU is a trusted leader and partner in primary prevention, taking evidence-based action to protect health, promote healthy environments, address health inequities, and keep people well.
Our Strategy
What we do
Health protection
WPHU’s health protection role involves investigating and managing cases and outbreaks of notifiable conditions under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 in collaboration with the Department’s Community and Public Health Division, managing public health risks and supporting public health emergency responses.
Population health promotion
WPHU’s population health role involves collaborating with local governments, community health networks, and primary care providers to improve health outcomes across the catchment, working to keep people well by leading and supporting practical population health action.
Our People
WPHU comprises a multidisciplinary team with expertise in medicine and public health, data and epidemiology, health promotion, community engagement and bi-cultural work, communications, operations and administration.
Several members of the team are registered health professionals such as nurses, doctors and allied health professionals, and many have specialist qualifications in public health.
Our Directors
Robyn Wilson, Divisional Director, Western Public Health Unit
Robyn Wilson is a senior health executive and program leader with more than 20 years’ experience in leadership roles in metro and regional hospitals and community health care, improving policy, service delivery and the health of Victorians.
Robyn commenced in the Western Public Health Unit in June 2024. Prior, Robyn was Executive Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health at Maryborough District Health Service. Robyn brings a unique set of clinical, business and executive expertise including a strong focus on governance and expertise in home-based care and public health.
Robyn has previous experience in Local Public Health Units as during COVID she was Operations Director of Grampians Public Health Unit where she established and led the Grampians Public Health Unit, overseeing the management of the COVID pandemic regional response.
Robyn has qualifications in nursing and has undertaken professional development including the Australian Institute of Company Directors course.
Dr Finn Romanes, Director, Western Public Health Unit
Dr Finn Romanes is an experienced public health physician. He oversees the management and response to key public health issues for the Western Metropolitan region. Before leading WPHU, Finn was a Senior Medical Advisor at the Department of Health where he provided advice and leadership on communicable disease control and environmental public health.
This included roles as Victoria’s representative on the Communicable Diseases Network Australia and as a past Chief Human Biosecurity Officer. Finn has acted as Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, and has led the investigation and management of many public health incidents including an outbreak of hepatitis A virus linked to consumption of frozen berries, an outbreak of multi-drug resistant bacteria in Victoria and the investigation of unregistered dentists in Victoria.
Finn is a graduate of the University of Melbourne. After working in hospitals across Victoria and the Northern Territory, Finn trained in public health medicine in the Scottish National Health Service before working as a Consultant in Public Health Medicine.
Dr Charles Alpren, Deputy Director, Western Public Health Unit
Dr Charles Alpren is a doctor and epidemiologist with a diverse public health background. He leads the medical and epidemiology teams at WPHU. In 2020, Charles formed and led the COVID-19 Intelligence/Epidemiology Team at the Department of Health. This role involved systems and team development within the COVID-19 response, outbreak investigation, and data analysis.
He joined the Department in June 2019 after completing the Epidemic Intelligence Service fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in USA. Charles also worked in Sierra Leone for 2 years in the Ebola response.
Charles has over 20 years of medical experience as a GP, and has worked with local, state, and federal public health agencies in Australia, the USA, and around the world. In addition to medical qualifications, Charles has completed a Master of Public Health and Master of Business Administration.
WPHU’s catchment at a glance
WPHU’s catchment extends 1419km² across central and western metropolitan Melbourne. The catchment includes:
- 8 local government areas of Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melbourne, Melton, Moonee Valley, Merri-bek and Wyndham
- 6 public health services, one Aboriginal health service and one primary healthcare network
- 4 community health services
- 460 early childhood services and 105 maternal and child health services
- 93 aged care facilities
- 3 ports of entry to Australia
- 7 prisons
WPHU’s population insights
1,284,858
people live in the catchment, including 9,184 people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
39%
of our population were born overseas. Excluding Australia, the top countries of birth of WPHU residents are India (7.4%), Vietnam (3.6%), China (2.6%) and New Zealand (2%).
44.8%
of residents within the catchment speak a language other than English at home.
WPHU residents are more socio-economically disadvantaged than residents in Victoria and Australia overall. All local government areas (LGAs) in the catchment have pockets in which people live in the lowest decile of disadvantage in Australia.
The WPHU catchment includes major growth corridors with estimated residential population growth in Wyndham, Melton and Melbourne 35.4%, 32.1% and 10%, respectively between 2016 and 2021 (Australian Census data).
Estimated residential population growth
35.4%
Wyndham
32.1%
Melton
10%
Melbourne
A larger proportion of the WPHU population are aged 20-44 years compared to both Victoria and the metropolitan LPHUs.
Last updated: 9 September 2025