Communities across rural and regional NSW continue to benefit from improved access to Key Health Worker Accommodation, with more than 70 dwellings delivered so far as part of the Minns Labor Government's $200.1 million program.
The Key Health Worker Accommodation program is supporting the recruitment and retention of health workers and their families in regional and rural NSW by providing a range of accommodation options.
The funding, part of the 2024-25 Budget, is delivering more than 20 key health worker accommodation projects across the state.
This has seen the building of new accommodation, refurbishment of existing living quarters, and the purchase of suitable properties such as residential units in nine regional local health districts and Albury-Wodonga Health, including:
- Far West Local Health District: two refurbished dwellings at the Tibooburra Health Service, and the acquisition of a house in Broken Hill.
- Illawarra and Shoalhaven Local Health District: the acquisition of 13 townhouses in Bomaderry.
- Murrumbidgee Local Health District: the purchase of five units in Deniliquin, two homes in Finley, one duplex in Lake Cargelligo, and two houses in Jerilderie.
- Southern NSW Local Health District: the acquisition of two duplexes in Bega, two duplexes Crookwell, and five homes in Moruya.
- Western NSW Local Health District: the acquisition of 15 self-contained units in Orange and 10 self-contained units in Bathurst.
- Albury-Wodonga Health: the construction of 21 self-contained units at Albury Hospital, which was delivered in partnership with $7.5 million from the Commonwealth Government.
More accommodation projects currently underway are expected to deliver more than 60 dwellings, including:
- Central Coast Local Health District: the construction of 10 self-contained units at the Wyong Hospital campus.
- Hunter New England Local Health District: the redevelopment of an ageing staff accommodation block to deliver 10 self-contained units close to Armidale Hospital.
- Mid North Coast Local Health District: planning to support the acquisition of properties across Coffs Harbour.
- Northern NSW Local Health District: the refurbishment of the old Grafton Gaol site to create 36 self-contained units, and work to deliver between 10 and 20 apartments at Lismore and Tweed.
- Housing for paramedics in regional NSW: planning to support the acquisition and delivery of accommodation across Jindabyne, Dungog, Kyogle and Deniliquin.
- Western NSW Local Health District: the construction of of 30 self-contained units on the Dubbo Health Service campus.
The Minns Labor Government has also allocated $10 million from the $200.1 million Key Health Worker Accommodation program to deliver key health worker housing for paramedics in regional NSW.
NSW Health continues to work with local health districts, NSW Ambulance, Homes NSW, and the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to identify appropriate key health worker accommodation options and sites across NSW.
The $200.1 million Key Health Worker Accomodation program builds on the Minns Labor Government's commitment to rebuild essential services in the regions by hiring more staff. The Coalition failed to invest in the health workforce, refusing to hire more staff and subjecting workers to an oppressive wages cap.
The Minns Government is investing in initiatives to ensure regional communities have the health workers they need, including:
- The NSW Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme, which provides incentives of up to $20,000 for the hardest to fill and critically vacant positions in rural and regional NSW.
- Expanded training pathways, such as the Rural Generalist Single Employer Pathway, which has assisted 74 doctors to train as rural generalists across NSW.
- Investing $83 million to boost maternity care across regional NSW, including funding for an additional 53 full-time equivalent midwives.
- Delivering study subsidies for regional health workers.
- Delivering an extra 500 regional paramedics.
Additionally, the Minns Government is investing $11.9 billion over four years to deliver 32 new or upgraded hospitals as part of the 2026-27 budget. This includes nearly $3 billion over four years for hospitals across regional NSW.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:
"The Minns Labor Government is committed to ensuring everyone in NSW continues to have access to safe, high-quality health care as close to home as possible.
"That's why we are recruiting more staff to regional NSW, delivering more beds and more hospitals, and expanding services.
"The $200.1 million Key Health Worker Accommodation Program is key for recruiting and retaining more health workers, and is just one example of the investments we are making to strengthen regional health services."
