The Albanese Labor Government has dashed hopes for doctor training in Mildura, denying a local bid for additional Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP).

“I am gutted,” Member for Mallee and Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health Anne Webster said. “I spent the past four and a half years working with La Trobe University and Monash University, advocating for Mildura to receive additional doctor training places to address Mallee’s critical workforce shortages.”

A CSP provides a government subsidised place at a university or higher education provider. This subsidy covers part of the cost of the degree, with the student or a HECS-HELP loan covering the remaining portion.  The scuttled Mildura pathway for students would have entailed entry into a La Trobe University Bachelor of Biomedical Science degree, with students seamlessly progressing into the Monash Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine course in Mildura.

The former Coalition Government pledged the 80 additional CSPs for rural medical training in the 2022-23 Federal Budget.

“Never in my wildest nightmares had I thought that a Coalition regional health initiative would see Labor ignore the desperate need in Mallee when the CSPs were decided,” Dr Webster said. “Labor has abandoned Mildura and over 100,000 people across our tri-state area who would benefit from this training initiative. I fought hard for these places, through many discussions with both La Trobe and Monash Universities, the local private and public hospitals, speeches in Parliament and Minister’s for Education and Health. I met with Education Minister Jason Clare to make sure Mildura’s case was front of his mind, yet Mildura has been snubbed.”
CSP places in Victoria went to Deakin University at their Ararat and Warrnambool campuses

“This is great news for regional students in South Western Victoria, as well as Rockhampton in Queensland, Wollongong in NSW, Broome in Western Australia and regional Tasmania and South Australia,” Dr Webster said. “As Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health I am pleased that a Coalition initiative is helping these communities.”

“Granting additional CSPs to Mildura would have resulted in better health outcomes for the long term in the tristate Sunraysia region. It is gut-wrenching for me as the Member for Mallee that North West Victoria – isolated by geography and State Labor’s disdain for health services in the region – has missed out again.

“For too long, we have lost young students to capital cities because we cannot provide a pathway for local end-to-end medical training.”

Dr Webster said it had been proven that 60% of students who study in regional areas, stay in the regions when they complete their studies, which highlighted the importance of CSP allocation to Mildura universities.

“Building a sustainable regional health workforce for the future takes a multi-faceted approach, that is why I have been meeting with the Medical Colleges to encourage them to provide accreditation and regional pathways for Mildura. To achieve a stable, reliable and dedicated workforce we need to use every tool in the toolbox,” Dr Webster said.

“While missing out on additional CSP is an incredibly disappointing result to say the least, this will not stop my fight for better health outcomes for Mildura and Mallee and CSP places in further rounds.”