In March, our CEO Professor Catherine Elliott and Deputy CEO Kelli Porter attended the 2025 WALGA Great Eastern Country Zone Forum in Bruce Rock, where they presented on Rural Health West’s work supporting local governments to attract and retain GPs.
With the theme “Re-imagining the Future of the Wheatbelt”, the forum highlighted a growing reality: in many Wheatbelt towns, general practice is no longer financially viable without local government support. Councils are stepping in to provide housing, clinic premises, vehicles and financial incentives to keep a GP in town.
Rural Health West continues to work alongside WALGA and local governments to support these communities. But long-term solutions require structural reform. Primary healthcare funding and delivery should not rest on the shoulders of local councils.
We remain committed to advocating for sustainable change, so that rural communities can access care without bearing the full weight of the health system.