Category: Australian News

The Morrison-Joyce Government is providing an early Christmas present to 166 Men’s Sheds across the country, who will receive a share of $500,000 to continue to support the health of men through the National Shed Development Programme (NSDP).
Many of the grants, of up to $10,000, will be used to purchase lifesaving defibrillators, IT equipment and provide training.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said there are more than 1,000 Men’s Sheds across the nation, and they play a vital role in preventing social isolation and mental ill health.
“Men’s Sheds offer thousands of men of all ages a safe and friendly environment where they can work on meaningful projects and build social connections,” Minister Hunt said.
“Since 2013, the Coalition Government has provided more than $6.4 million to support Men’s Sheds through the programme.”
The Government also took action to help alleviate social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic by prioritising applications for IT equipment and training, which helps to maintain friendships and connection to shed projects and reduces social isolation.
Minister for Regional Health, Dr David Gillespie, said the Government awards grants to Men’s Sheds in three categories – health and wellbeing events, shed improvements, and tools and equipment.
“Many Sheds were forced to close their doors this year due to the pandemic, however that didn’t stop the shed community from staying connected. Coordinators made sure their members felt valued and part of a strong, positive community during such a difficult time,” Dr Gillespie said.
“Men’s Sheds are an integral part of their local communities and support many men in many ways. Our Government will continue to support regional and rural Men’s Sheds as part of our comprehensive approach to improving the health of Australian men.”
A Men’s Shed can range from purpose-built facilities, multipurpose buildings, or shared spaces that are used regularly to foster positive community spirit among men.
Sheds are able to apply for funding and grants up to a total of $10,000, with priority given to sheds in disadvantaged areas.
The NSDP provides funding to Men’s Sheds through a competitive grants process.
Applications for Round 23 of the NSDP will be opened in mid-January 2022.

GP practices in towns throughout regional, rural and remote Australia will have more options and a larger pool of doctors to recruit from, following changes announced by the Morrison Joyce Government.
From 1 January 2022, there will be automatic access to the Distribution Priority Area (DPA) classification for regional and larger rural towns (MMM 3-4), to make it easier for areas to recruit more doctors.
The DPA classification identifies locations in Australia with a shortage of doctors. Currently, only rural and remote (MMM 5-7) communities receive automatic DPA status, with other MMM locations having to be assessed annually to see whether the health services for the population meet a service benchmark.
If access is under the benchmark, a town is classified as a DPA and clinics in that area can employ doctors subject to a moratorium, such as those who have trained overseas.
Students who have accepted a Commonwealth Supported Place in an Australian medical course in return for a commitment to work in a regional, rural and remote area at the end of their studies must also work in a DPA.
Federal Regional Health Minister, Dr David Gillespie said this change would provide a real difference to patients across country Australia.
“Short term, this means that practices can begin reaching out to overseas doctors who want to move to the regions and practise there,” Dr Gillespie said.
“This change begins from 1 January 2022, and I know that regional and rural practices will be working hard to take full advantage of this significant change.”
Dr Gillespie said the DPA expansion would mean more regional and rural communities would have access to a GP in the short term.
“More rural and regional areas will be able to utilise the DPA system when recruiting doctors for their region, whether they be those who are wanting to move here from overseas or young doctors who have accepted a place in return for working in a regional area,” Dr Gillespie said.
“This change will help ensure rural and regional areas have a choice of more doctors to work in their local communities, leading to increased access to GP and primary care services for many thousands of Australians in regional and rural communities.”
The Morrison Joyce Government will also invest in a significant incentive for eligible doctors and nurse practitioners to practice in rural, remote or very remote areas of Australia, by eliminating all or part of their Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP) debt subject to meeting eligibility criteria.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt said the Government is acutely aware of the maldistribution of health workforce around the country and is implementing a range of policies to get more GPs, nurses and allied health professionals to areas where they are needed.
“This is just another measure that our government is using to attract more GPs to regional areas,” Minister Hunt said.
“Incentivising doctors and nurse practitioners to live and work outside of metropolitan areas will help improve access to quality health care for regional, rural and remote communities.”
“This new initiative shows that our government is serious about supporting doctors who genuinely commit to practise in regional, rural and remote towns, which offers continuity of care, instead of having an over-reliance on locums,” Dr Gillespie said.
“That’s why we have committed to a number of immediate initiatives to reward doctors and nurse practitioners for working in regional, rural and remote Australia.
“The Morrison Joyce Government is focused on delivering better outcomes, reducing access barriers and creating a flexible system that works for all Australians, regardless of where they live.
“This announcement continues to build on our Government’s Stronger Rural Health Strategy and our longstanding efforts to grow our own rural GP and medical workforce,” Dr Gillespie said.

The human biosecurity emergency period under the Biosecurity Act 2015 will be extended for a further two months.
These arrangements, which have been in place since 18 March 2020 to protect Australians during the COVID-19 pandemic, will continue until 17 February 2022.
The extension of these arrangements made by the Governor-General was informed by specialist medical and epidemiological advice provided by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) and the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer.
Continuation of these arrangement will allow the important measures currently in place to continue as the Government continues to reopen Australia and act decisively to respond to the emergence of the Omicron variant.
The extension means the four existing emergency requirement Determinations will remain in force for the duration of the extension period, with the ability to be revoked at an earlier time, depending on medical advice.
These Determinations include:

1. Mandatory pre-departure testing and mask wearing for international flights
2. Restrictions on international travel from high risk countries
3. Restrictions on outbound international travel for unvaccinated Australians
4. Restrictions on the entry of cruise vessels within Australian territory (this Determination will be reviewed monthly).

These arrangements have been a significant contributing factor in Australia’s success in avoiding the catastrophic effects of COVID-19 seen in many other countries.
It has enabled Australia to respond quickly to moderate the number of inbound and outbound travellers, protect remote and indigenous communities from localised outbreaks, reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19 on flights and at international airports in Australia and further manage the number of cases in quarantine facilities.
The human biosecurity emergency period ensures the appropriate legislative powers are available to the Australian Government as further information is gained and understood about Omicron, as well as to protect vulnerable communities in Australia.
As has been the case throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, these arrangements will be reviewed regularly to take into account the latest medical advice.
The Government continues to work constructively with the cruise ship industry, with whom we remain actively engaged alongside state and territory governments to enable a phased resumption of cruising in Australia on the basis of medical advice.
As part of this work, the Government will continually review, on a monthly basis, whether the current restrictions on cruise ships can be safely lifted or amended.
The measures in place under the Biosecurity Act 2015 can be repealed or amended at any time prior to the end of the human biosecurity emergency period and it will be continuously reviewed as a priority.

The Greens have announced a policy to reform the political system, clean up politics, and strengthen democracy. At the end of a bruising political year where the government remained unrepentant despite scandal after scandal, it’s clear a new approach is needed to restore public confidence in democracy.
The Greens have a plan to establish a strong, independent National Integrity Commission to hold politicians and public servants to account and to stop big corporations and the super rich from buying the political outcomes that favour them. Our Bill passed the Senate two years ago – in the time that has passed since, the case for an integrity commission has only gotten stronger.
But cleaning up politics is not just about weeding out corruption at the end. It’s about getting rid of the conditions that allow corruption and poor standards to flourish. The Greens will take a holistic approach to cleaning up politics by:
Cleaning up elections

• Introducing laws to stop misinformation and disinformation undermining public trust and compromising public debate
• Capping electoral spending so elections are not bought by parties with the deepest pockets
• Banning donations from dirty industries, capping all other donations, and requiring real time disclosure so people know who is funding the parties and candidates they vote for
• Initiating reforms to allow public servants and people in Australia with dual citizenship to run for election
• Implementing strategies to encourage a more diverse range of people to run for election so that our parliament better reflects our community

Cleaning up parliament

• Lifting parliamentary standards by implementing an enforceable Code of Conduct for all politicians and senior staff
• Strengthening Register of Interest disclosure requirements
• Strengthening the Lobbying Code of Conduct and publishing Ministers’ diaries, so we know who is influencing who
• Strengthening FOI laws so the public has access to information about how decisions are made
• Ensuring appointments to government agencies and advisory bodies are independent and based on merit
• Investigating new ways for public voices to be heard in parliamentary decision-making, with a new Public Interest Democracy Fund.

Cleaning up corruption

• Supporting the ANAO to audit relevant government programs to identify pork barrelling and corruption
• Introducing a strong, independent integrity commission that will:

1. Have a broad remit to investigate potentially corrupt behaviour and extensive investigation powers
2. Make politicians subject to the same investigation and enforcement powers as other public sector agencies
3. Be able to act on tips off from the public
4. Be able to investigate past behaviour of politicians
5. Hold public hearings, where it is in the public interest to do so
6. Provide strong protections for whistleblowers and journalists

Stopping politicians from ‘cleaning up’ when they leave parliament

• Stopping the revolving door between industry and politics with a stronger Lobbying Code of Conduct
• Preventing Ministers taking roles in industries they used to regulate within 5 years of leaving parliament

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on democracy Senator Larissa Waters said:
“Community confidence in political leaders is at an all-time low after years of scandals. Australians no longer trust the government to act in anything other than their own interests and the interests of their dodgy mates.
“Cleaning up politics is a big job and needs to start from the ground up. We need to catch and punish corrupt politicians, but we also need to remove the conditions that allow corruption to fester in the first place.
“The Greens’ robust, comprehensive plan will restore confidence in our democracy and give Australia a parliament that reflects the community it represents and acts in the public interest, not the interests of big corporations and the super rich.
“The Greens’ National Integrity Commission is a gold standard model that will hold politicians and public servants to account, root out corruption where it occurs, and protect those who come forward to report it.
“Everyone benefits from a culture of honesty, integrity, transparency, and accountability in politics. It’s what people in Australia deserve, and only the Greens have a clear plan to deliver it.

The Morrison Government is investing in swimming and water safety education, encouraging more teachers into the pool to strengthen skills and save lives.
The national organisation for teaching swimming and water safety, AUSTSWIM, will receive $250,000 for its “Creating Jobs, Saving Lives” project which aims to address a shortage in swim and water safety teachers.
The project will focus on re-engaging with swimming teachers who have left the industry and support them to return to the water.
AUSTSWIM will share in $10.3 million spent on 36 new programs under Sport Australia’s Participation Grant program – providing more opportunities for Australians to connect with sport and get physically active.
Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck said the Morrison Government was proud to partner with AUSTSWIM.
“It’s estimated that COVID-19 lockdowns across Australia have resulted in more than 12 million missed swimming lessons over the past 18 months,” Minister Colbeck said.
“With restrictions easing, we want to ensure that the 162,500 children that have missed out on swimming and water safety lessons every week have the opportunity to get back in the water in a fun and safe environment.”
Federal Member for Lindsay, Melissa McIntosh, has been advocating for an intensive back to swimming program for kids across our country who have missed out on swim and survive programs and swimming lessons over the last two years due to lockdowns.
“It is extremely concerning that an estimated 250,000 swimming lessons have been missed each week as a result of the recent lockdowns in New South Wales. These are lessons that equip children with the lifelong skills they need to be safe in the water.”
“My swim school petition received thousands of signatures and I know many local schools such as Nepean Aquatic Centre and families across Western Sydney backed this important, local campaign.”
“I have strongly advocated for the Commonwealth Government to provide financial assistance to ensure our kids can access affordable swimming classes over the next two years and I will continue to fight for more support for our swim schools.”
“Having the ability to swim is an important life skill for every Australian and this grant will not only help increase participation in sport and physical activity across Lindsay but also provide employment opportunities for active licenced swimming teachers.” Said Ms McIntosh.
AUSTSWIM CEO Simon Weatherill said the initiative aims to bring the number of swim teachers back to pre-COVID levels.
“While demand for swimming and water safety lessons has recovered quickly, the training and accreditation of teachers has not kept pace, leading to a shortage in swimming and water safety teachers.”
Mr Weatherill said that funding received for the “Creating Jobs, Saving Lives” project will support 900 swim teachers by covering the costs associated with getting and maintaining their qualifications. The project will also connect teachers with local swim centres.
“Our focus is on retraining as many of these teachers as possible and getting them back in pools across Australia and delivering swim lessons. This will increase participation in swimming for Australians of all ages which will help reduce the number of preventable drownings and water related injuries.”
Sport Australia Acting CEO Rob Dalton said the Participation Grant program will help more Australians enjoy the social, personal and health benefits of being physically active.
“Through this grant program, we will support tens of thousands of Australians to get active and build a healthier and happier nation through sport.”
The Australian Government – through Sport Australia’s Participation Grant program – has invested $28.3 million over four years to support 98 sport and physical activity programs across Australia to provide more opportunities for Australians to connect or return to sport and physical activity.

The Morrison Government is backing in first home owners to enter the property market sooner with up to an extra 4,651 buyers set to benefit under the Government’s Home Guarantee Scheme this year.
The Scheme helps first home buyers and single parent families get into their own home sooner with a deposit of as little as five per cent or two per cent respectively.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government’s Home Guarantee Scheme would reissue up to 4,651 unused guarantees for first home buyers from the 2020-21 financial year who haven’t had an opportunity to purchase their first home, including because of COVID disruptions.
“We want more first home buyers to get into the place of their dreams,” the Prime Minister said.
“The pandemic and lockdowns have interrupted the plans of many home buyers this year, so this is about ensuring we give thousands more families the opportunity they need.
“We want to help Australians into their first home or a home that they’ve had built for them and their family, and with our support first home buyers are at their highest level in nearly 15 years.”
Minister for Housing Michael Sukkar said coupled with HomeBuilder and the First Home Super Saver Scheme, more than 300,000 Australians have been helped into home ownership, including almost 60,000 Australians through the Home Guarantee Scheme.
“The Morrison Government will continue to provide Australians who have that aspiration to go and buy a home, the opportunity to go and achieve that,” Minister Sukkar said.
“The recent release of the annual Trends & Insiders Report for 2020-2021 on the Home Guarantee Scheme is further evidence that our Government is on the side of essential workers, women and young Australians as they make the leap into home ownership.”
Some of the Report’s key insights are:

• One in five First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS) guarantees issued went to essential workers, representing almost 6,000 key workers who purchased their first home under the scheme, 34.8 per cent of which were nurses.
• Fifty two per cent of FHLDS guarantees went to women, with the market average only 41 per cent women.
• Fifty eight per cent of all buyers under the Scheme were Australians aged under 30.
• Homebuyers were able to bring their home purchases forward by an average of four years for the FHLDS, and 4.5 years for the New Home Guarantee.

The Report can be found here.
Liberal Candidate for Corangamite Stephanie Asher said the Morrison Government’s Home Guarantee Scheme had supported many families in the area into their first home, including 577 homes in Greater Geelong.
“With so many young people and families moving to Geelong, the Surf Coast and the Bellarine, this is about making it easier to make home ownership a reality,” Ms Asher said.
“It’s programs like this that will help even more people see the great lifestyle and opportunities our region has to offer.”
First home buyers will be able to apply for these guarantees from the Scheme’s panel lenders in the coming weeks. For more information, visit https://www.nhfic.gov.au/what-we-do/support-to-buy-a-home/

Canberrans seeking assistance for their mental health will have another centre providing high quality support with the opening of the Canberra Head to Health Centre.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, David Coleman, and ACT Senator, Zed Seselja, today welcomed the opening of the Centre, located in Deakin, ACT.
“We know that the pandemic and the measures taken to contain it have had a significant impact on the mental health and wellbeing of many Australians,” Minister Hunt said.
“The Canberra Head to Health Centre will be among the first in a network of community mental health centres ensuring people who need help have access to high quality, person-centred care where and when they need it.
“Head to Health Centres are designed to provide a welcoming, low stigma, ‘no wrong door’ entry point for adults to access mental health information, services and supports through a multidisciplinary team operating over extended hours, without needing a prior appointment or paying a fee.”
Assistant Minister Coleman said the centre would provide a safe place for people experiencing high levels of distress, or who are at heightened risk of suicide.
“At their core, the Head to Health Centres, like this new one in Canberra, will be staffed by multidisciplinary teams that will offer support to adults experiencing mental ill-health by providing support and treatment over the short to medium term.”
Senator Zed Seselja welcomed the opening of the new centre and said it will help people get the support they need by providing care where there are no available services appropriate to their needs or while they are waiting to be connected to longer-term care.
“Our Government is committed to improving mental health services across Australia and here in the ACT. To do so, we have invested considerable funding to improve services now and into the future,” Senator Seselja said.
“This centre will integrate with other services to address fragmentation and offer seamless care pathways, with an emphasis on ensuring consumers and carers do not need to retell their story.”
As part of the 2019–20 Budget, the Morrison Government committed $114.5 million to fund the trial of eight ‘Head to Health’ Adult Mental Health Centres, with one centre to be established in each state and territory.
An additional $487.2 million was announced under the 2021–22 Budget to expand the program to an additional 32 sites (eight new centres and 24 satellites) and provide ongoing funding for the initial eight trial sites.
“Services provided at these centres will be recovery focused, trauma informed and person-centred,” Minister Hunt said.
“The Morrison Government is committed to working towards zero suicides and transforming the mental health system to ensure that all Australians can access the right care and essential services whenever and wherever they need,” Assistant Minister Coleman said.
“I’m pleased the new Canberra Head to Health Centre will also play an essential role in supporting ACT GPs, private and public hospitals and emergency departments, by providing accessible mental health care,” Senator Seselja said.
The service has been commissioned by the Capital Health Network (ACT Primary Health Network) and will be operated by Think Mental Health.
Australians looking for support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic can access the Beyond Blue Coronavirus Wellbeing Support Service any time via telephone at 1800 512 348 or online at coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au.
Anyone experiencing distress can also seek immediate advice and support through Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), or the Government’s digital mental health gateway, Head to Health.
If you are concerned about suicide, living with someone who is considering suicide, or bereaved by suicide, the Suicide Call Back Service is available at 1300 659 467 or www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au.
The Morrison Government continues to make mental health and wellbeing a priority. Oure Government provided a historic $2.3 billion in the 2020-21 Budget to deliver significant reform of the mental health system and ensure that all Australians have access to high quality, person-centred care as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Initial results from the first national survey of mental health and wellbeing in 14 years has confirmed the growing importance of mental health services, with Australians seeking mental health support more than ever before.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has today released the results from the first cohort of the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, which collected data from over 5,500 people aged 16 to 85 years from December 2020 to July 2021.
The results show many Australians are taking steps to look after their mental health. The key findings include:

• 15% of adults experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress in the four weeks before their interview.
• Almost two-thirds (61%) of adults took actions to improve their own mental health in the last 12 months, including increasing exercise and physical activity (37%), positive thinking (29%) and increasing enjoyable activities (28%).
• 3.4 million adults reported seeing a health professional for their mental health in the last 12 months, and 612,000 adults used other phone and digital mental health services, such as crisis support or counselling, online treatment programs, or support groups and forums.

Mental health and suicide prevention remain a high priority for the Morrison Government. Through the 2021-22 Budget, we are investing a record $2.3 billion in the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan to deliver landmark reform in mental health support and treatment for Australians in need.
The Morrison Government was quick to recognise and respond to the rise in mental health issues caused by the pandemic and associated restrictions, especially among our children and young people.
Since March last year, our Government has provided more than $1 billion in funding to expand mental health services in response to the pandemic, including a substantial investment in telehealth.
As well as extending Medicare subsidies to telehealth mental health services, we have boosted funding to key service providers such as headspace, Lifeline, Beyond Blue and Kids Helpline.
We have also set up walk-in mental health clinics in Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT, with a national network now in development.
The National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing will provide deeper and more detailed understanding of the mental health challenges facing Australians, and how they manage these challenges.
It will be vital for planning services at the local and national level as the Government continues to reform mental health and preventive health—one of the four pillars of our Australia’s Long Term National Health Plan.
The survey of mental health is one of seven separate surveys which will make up the Intergenerational Health and Mental Health Study (IHMHS). The Morrison Government has provided $89.5 million to the ABS to conduct the study, including data collection from 2020 to 2022.
Australians looking for support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic can access the Beyond Blue Coronavirus Wellbeing Support Service any time via telephone at 1800 512 348 or online at coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au.
Anyone experiencing distress can also seek immediate advice and support through Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), or the Government’s digital mental health gateway, Head to Health.
If you are concerned about suicide, living with someone who is considering suicide, or bereaved by suicide, the Suicide Call Back Service is available at 1300 659 467 or www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au

Federal Member for Nicholls, Damian Drum, and Minister for Regional Health, Dr David Gillespie, have praised Goulburn Valley Health for its role in containing Shepparton’s recent COVID-19 outbreak.
“I want to specifically mention chief executive Matt Sharp and his staff for the role they played in getting the outbreak under control,” Dr Gillespie said during a visit to GV Health today.
“I also want to recognise the hard work of your teams, especially those receptionists, nurses and practice support staff who have really been on the frontline in their efforts to help get the community vaccinated – everyone stepped up to the plate.
“The Federal Coalition Government also recognises the important role that state and territory hubs are playing to keep local communities safe and healthy, especially now as they set up to help vaccinate people in their community.”
Mr Drum said GV Health provided significant local leadership during the September outbreak. In partnership with a range of community service organisations, it ensured that the community could access basics such as food, medication and COVID vaccinations.
“Matt and his team did an incredible job during what was one of the most difficult periods in recent memory in the Goulburn Valley,” Mr Drum said.
“As the local member, I was very proud of the work and care from the highly skilled staff at GV Health during what were very trying times for the entire community.”
The strong relationship between GV Health and Murray Primary Health Network (PHN) enabled a collaborative approach where each organisation could focus on its strengths.
Murray PHN supported primary care with outbreak support (including infection protection and control advice and personal protective equipment), information and advice to continue vaccinations, support to private residential aged care facilities and staff vaccination along with significant outbreak and infection prevention and control support to the local Aboriginal Health Service, Rumbalara.
GV Health led the local response through its Public Health Unit, provided enormous testing capacity at short notice and developed and implemented a COVID positive pathway, including home monitoring, in Shepparton and surrounding areas.
Alongside the outbreak response, GV Health maintained a high-volume vaccination hub at the McIntosh Centre at the Shepparton Showgrounds.

The University of Melbourne’s rural pathway medical school program at Shepparton is set to welcome its first intake next year, taking students a step closer to becoming rural doctors and helping to address Australia’s longstanding rural doctor shortage.
Shepparton offers one of five rural-based medical school programs established under the Federal Government’s Murray-Darling Medical Schools Network.
The Network is a key initiative in the Government’s commitment to tackle the rural doctor shortage and improve the distribution of the medical workforce through the establishment of rurally based medical school programs.
Up to half of the 30 students who will study medicine at Shepparton have been based at Bendigo and Albury-Wodonga, where they have just completed the Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Medical) degree from La Trobe University.
This arrangement provides a pathway into the four-year graduate entry Doctor of Medicine offered by the University of Melbourne in Shepparton for regional students intending to practise medicine in a regional location.
The medical program was announced in the Federal Government’s 2018-2019 Budget and involves a unique collaboration between the two universities which have a long and respected track record in medical, health and rural education.
This first Shepparton intake will further benefit from a $6.5 million upgrade to the Shepparton campus, including new student accommodation and expanded teaching spaces, expected to be completed in early 2022.
Federal Member for Nicholls, Damian Drum, congratulated the students on their graduation from La Trobe, and commended both the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University on their successful collaboration.
“Today is a great day for the Goulburn Valley as the first cohort in this ground-breaking end-to-end regional medical program mark a major milestone in their quest to become a doctor,” Mr Drum said.
“I congratulate all those who graduated today and wish them the best of luck for the remainder of their studies.
“I’m proud the Federal Government, in conjunction with La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne, created this medical program as part of an effort to alleviate the doctor shortage in regional and rural Australia.
“I am confident that a high proportion of graduating students will choose to stay in the Goulburn Valley for their medical careers, benefitting the region for years and decades to come.”
Minister for Regional Health, David Gillespie, said the Murray-Darling Medical School Network would be a game-changer in bridging the city-country divide.
“The Network’s aim is to address rural doctor shortages, improve the future distribution of the medical workforce and build on the Government’s existing investment in rural undergraduate training through the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training program,” Dr Gillespie said.
“It will maximise opportunities to support school leavers and graduate-entry students with a rural background, and to attract those with an interest, intention and aptitude for practising in rural and regional areas once qualified.
“As such, it will help to ‘flip’ the current model of medical training with the majority of training to be regionally based and rotations to metropolitan areas for specialist immersions kept to a minimum.
“The new end-to-end rural medical program is in strong demand from regional and rural students because it means students are able to study closer to home.
“A major positive impact of the program is that students in regional schools now see medicine as a possible career path, and this is lifting enthusiasm and performance in schools.”
The Murray-Darling Medical School Network also enables communities in the region to benefit from the creation of local jobs through infrastructure projects and the increased university presence.
The Network includes University of NSW (Wagga Wagga), University of Sydney (Dubbo), Charles Sturt University in partnership with Western Sydney University (Orange), Monash University (Bendigo, Mildura), and University of Melbourne (Shepparton).
In 2022, all five Network medical schools will be operational, with 145 students commencing their studies, adding to the 80 who started in 2021. La Trobe University will welcome another 15 students to its pathway Biomedical Science (Medical) degree.