Charles Sturt University (CSU) Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Vann, has welcomed National Party support for the University’s expanded medical school initiative in Wagga Wagga and Orange.
Member for Riverina Mr Michael McCormack, who joined Professor Vann at the unveiling of the expanded plan, said communities throughout regional NSW and Australia were in desperate need of more doctors.
“I welcome the announcement by Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga of plans to build a rural medical school, subject to government funding,” Mr McCormack said.
“A medical school in Wagga Wagga will help to ease the burden which country doctors are facing at the moment, as this facility will allow medical students to complete the entirety of their studies in Wagga Wagga and then begin working in the wider community.”
Mr McCormack’s support echoed Nationals deputy senate leader Ms Fiona Nash, who described the plan, which includes a minimum 80 per cent intake of rural students, as fantastic news for regional Australia.
“Regional young people deserve these improved opportunities,” she said.
Professor Vann said it was “great to see our rural members of Parliament standing up for rural and regional communities, and our own regional university”.
“Charles Sturt University has proven that it can recruit rural health students, and get rural health professionals into the bush,” he said.
“City medical schools are telling rural communities that they won’t really know if their programs will get substantially more doctors into the bush for another 10-15 years.
“This is why more than 30,000 people have registered their support for Charles Sturt University’s proposal on Facebook, and 16,000 have signed the online petition.
“Rural and regional Australians are telling our politicians they want a medical school based at their own regional university.
“We will now work with the Government and Opposition to get a formal election promise to rural and regional Australians that a rural medical school will be approved and funded at Charles Sturt University.”
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