The opening of health worker accommodation pods at Tamworth hospital is a welcome finalisation of an initiative we put in place some time ago to attract more health workers to our region.
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The Tamworth hospital pods are in addition to pods we opened last year in Gunnedah, Walcha and Quirindi, and I know health professionals have been working in those hospitals, free of the burden of finding accommodation in a tight housing market.
The new units in Tamworth are on top of the 22 units previously delivered across the Hunter New England Health District, and it is sincerely hoped that medical professionals visiting our region will see the benefits of living and working in rural and regional areas.
It was also good to hear that the Minister would continue with the proposal to expand the single employer model to our region, with Tamworth confirmed as an initial trial site.
The Single Employer Model allows trainee doctors to retain their employee benefits while training to specialise as a rural generalist. It is hoped that this will make the career more attractive to young doctors, and the experience in the Murrumbidgee suggests it will be successful.
I'll be keeping a very close eye on the trial, in the hopes that it could continue to expand and benefit our smaller towns like Gunnedah, Quirindi, Barraba, and Manilla.
Arts discussion will benefit the whole community
This week in Tamworth also represented an opportunity for our arts and culture community to provide input and feedback into the future of the industry and what more the government can do to support its growth.
Arts and culture are what bonds our communities which is why it's so important we support our artists, musicians, actors, and creatives.
One way we can do that is by ensuring that they have input into the policies and decisions that directly affect their ability to make an income and share their art.
That's why I welcomed Minister for the Arts John Graham to Tamworth this week to meet with local artists and discuss the first Arts, Culture and Creative Industries Policy for NSW.
The feedback provided by our community will have a direct impact on the development of future policy and I would encourage anyone who was unable to attend the event on Tuesday to learn more and provide feedback online at: https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/arts-culture-creative-industries-policy
