Healthcare workers in Broken Hill will benefit from new health worker accommodation, with 20 new units at the Broken Hill Health Service now ready to move into.
Broken Hill is the final rural and regional site to be completed under the $45.3 million Key Worker Accommodation Program, marking a significant milestone in the NSW Government's investment in housing for healthcare workers.
The two-storey accommodation complex houses 10 units on each floor. Each new unit is fully furnished and self-contained featuring a light-filled living and dining area, modern kitchen, bedroom with ensuite, an internal laundry, and a screened veranda.
The new units will assist with the recruitment and retention of health workers to the region, which will be critical, as the Broken Hill Health Service expands with the current upgrade of the Emergency Department and construction of a new Acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit on the hospital campus.
Finishing touches are now being made in readiness for the first residents to move in shortly. The connection of utility services, furnishing, fencing, and landscaping has now been completed to ensure the new units will be fit-for-purpose, comfortable and welcoming for healthcare workers.
The modern accommodation units were manufactured off site and transported to Broken Hill and installed on Morgan Street. FWLHD is one of three regional Local Health Districts to benefit from the NSW Government's $45.3 million investment to deliver accommodation for health workers under the Key Worker Accommodation (KWA) Program.
Due to the success of the Program, the Minns Labor Government has invested an additional $200.1 million into Key Health Worker Accommodation across NSW. As part of this $200.1 million Minns Labor Government program an additional $5.13 million has been invested in accommodation in FWLHD and will deliver more housing for health workers in Broken Hill, Tibooburra, Wentworth, Buronga and Dareton.
Locations for this $200.1 million investment were selected based on greatest need across NSW.
This program will also benefit CCLHD, HNELHD, ISLHD, MNCLHD, MLHD, NNSWLHD, SNSWLHD, WNSWLHD, Albury Wodonga and select NSW Ambulance sites.
Quotes attributable to Regional Health Minister Ryan Park:
"We face a no more critical issue than staffing our healthcare facilities across the state, and that challenge is exacerbated in regional, rural and remote communities.
"I'm proud this government has played a part in delivering accommodation for healthcare workers in Broken Hill, and I look forward to keeping the community updated on the additional $5.13 million the Minns Labor Government has invested in health worker housing for Far West Local Health District.
"Working in regional, rural and remote communities is an incredibly rewarding experience, and the provision of accommodation, which is clean, new and close to work is an attractive prospect for people who are thinking about taking up a job in the bush."
Quotes attributable to Member for Barwon, Roy Butler:
"Broken Hill's new key worker accommodation units are fantastic. They are well designed and include everything a health worker establishing themselves in the local community would need.
"With the current upgrade of the Emergency Department and the construction of a new Acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit, having new key worker accommodation on-site will help attract new, and retain experienced, health workers. This will ensure the local health workforce can continue to provide high-quality health care to Broken Hill and its surrounding communities.
"As we welcome the first workers into the new Broken Hill units, we encourage other clinicians to make the move to the far west to live and work. Broken Hill is a unique city, with a welcoming local community and having more health workers will certainly help to make the city an even better place."
