Charles Sturt University (CSU) Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann has thanked all the members of Charles Sturt University's Community Consultative Committee, chaired by Mrs Audrey Hardman (former State President of the CWA), for their commitment to their communities and the University.

 

Advocacy by the Community Consultative Committee has paid off, Professor Vann said, with The Nationals committing to support the establishment of a Murray Darling Medical School as proposed by CSU and La Trobe Universities.

 

The commitment, as part of The Nationals’ 2013 election platform, built on strong backing from The Nationals membership at the most recent NSW and federal conferences.

 

Professor Vann said "50 000 Australians have backed the new school on the Doctors4theBush Facebook site, which was established by the Community Consultative Committee to allow Australians to show their support for reform of rural medical education”.

 

"This shows the deep concern rural Australians have about declining health services in our communities, and the unfair treatment of rural students in access to medical education in Australia,” Professor Vann said.

 

"The new school would give rural and regional students better access to medical education locally, with a guarantee that 80 per cent of students will come from rural, regional and Indigenous backgrounds.

 

"The strong support we have received shows that our local candidates are listening to their communities, and responding to their needs.”