Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to highlight concerns within the health sector in Gippsland in relation to the difficulty in attracting new doctors if the federal government goes ahead with recommendations to change the criteria for rural subsidies. I have written to the Minister for Health and Ageing in relation to this issue but believe it is important to bring the matter to the attention of the House. The concern relates to a government plan to rezone areas that are currently considered rural for the purposes of paying grants to doctors. Under the proposals, as I understand them, existing areas that are classified as ‘rural’ would become ‘inner regional’, directly impacting towns in my electorate such as Sale, Yarram, Maffra, Bairnsdale and Omeo. It will certainly be news to the good residents of Omeo and the fine hospital that they support in one of the most beautiful but most remote settings in Victoria.

I refer to an article by Leo Shanahan in the Age on 31 January this year where it was highlighted that a new distance based measure of remoteness has been recommended by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. As a smaller, more densely populated state, Victoria is set to be the biggest loser. I have been contacted by several leading health professionals in my electorate, including Dr David Monash from Sale, who have raised concerns that, without access to the grants, local services will find it very difficult to attract and retain doctors in rural areas. The board of management of Bairnsdale Regional Health Service has spelt out its concerns that Bairnsdale will be rezoned from rural to inner regional. The board is very concerned. I quote from their letter:

Any proposal that would act as a deterrent for general obstetric/surgical practitioners to relocate to Bairnsdale or indeed to continue to work in Bairnsdale will impact on our ability to provide inpatient services.

Further:

We cannot understate the potential impact this may have in regards to the recruitment and retention of general practitioners and, as a consequence the—

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