People living in regional, rural and remote NSW have been expected to settle for less healthcare for far too long – and the Country Women’s Association of NSW says it’s time to stop accepting the unacceptable.
Launching its 2026 Awareness Week campaign, the CWA of NSW is calling on the NSW Government to commit to practical reforms that deliver better healthcare closer to home. Awareness Week will run from September 6th to 12th, focused on a simple message: Stop normalising the rural health crisis. Start fixing it.
The CWA of NSW is calling on the NSW Government to improve access to quality healthcare for people living in regional, rural and remote NSW by supporting the adoption and implementation of The Rural Health Action Plan :
• Authored by Dr Joe McGirr, GP and Independent Member for Wagga Wagga, The Plan is a roadmap for turning things around – not with a big restructure with an unrealistic price tag, but simple, common-sense reforms that put people first and redirect funds to be more effective. It is built on the recommendations of a major parliamentary inquiry by the NSW Legislative Assembly Select Committee on Remote, Rural and Regional Health.
• The Plan is designed to ensure:
o Every rural community has access to a local GP and flexible team-based primary healthcare
o Restoration of maternity services so more women can give birth closer to home
o Building of permanent rural health workforces rather than relying on costly short-term locum doctors
o Local communities have a greater voice in decisions about their health services
o Establishing an independent Rural Health Commissioner to improve accountability
o Better integration between hospitals, general practice, councils and community health services.
Advocating for increased public understanding of the challenges faced by regional, rural and remote communities in NSW when it comes to accessing health services, the Association’s call follows findings from the 2025 CWA of NSW Annual Women’s Survey . The survey identified access to healthcare as one of the biggest issues affecting women across the state. Respondents highlighted ongoing shortages of local GPs, closed patient books, lengthy waits for specialists, rising out-of-pocket costs and the increasing burden of travelling long distances simply to access basic healthcare.
CWA of NSW State President Tanya Jolly said these experiences have become so common they are now being treated as normal.
“Our members have watched local services disappear, maternity units close, and healthcare professionals become harder and harder to access. Communities have become conditioned to accept these changes as inevitable and we refuse to accept that,” said Tanya.
“For thousands of families outside metropolitan NSW, accessing healthcare has become increasingly difficult. Finding a GP can take weeks. Specialist appointments often require hours of travel. Expectant mothers are forced to leave their communities to give birth. Older Australians travel hundreds of kilometres for routine appointments, while many delay seeking treatment altogether because of the cost, time and distance involved.
“People in regional and rural NSW deserve the same timely access to doctors, hospitals and essential healthcare services as anyone living in Sydney. Where you live should never determine the quality of healthcare you receive,” Tanya said.
The CWA of NSW says these stories reflect a broader pattern of inequity affecting regional communities every day. Rather than calling for another review, the CWA of NSW is urging the NSW Government to implement practical reforms already identified through the Rural Health Action Plan.
Dr McGirr thanked the CWA and all members of the Better Care, Closer to Home Alliance for their leading roles in demanding better health care.
“For too long, rural and regional communities have had to accept second best when it comes to health services but now people are standing up to demand the same level of care that is provided to those in large cities.
“Nobody understands the needs of rural and regional families better than the CWA, so I am delighted to have the support of this amazing organisation as a powerful and influential voice calling for change.
“The message shared by these groups is simple – the Rural Health Action Plan is an efficient, cost-effective blueprint for change that must be adopted to underwrite the future of rural, regional and remote NSW and I look forward to continuing our work together until the NSW government takes meaningful action to deliver the services we need and deserve,” Dr McGirr said
Throughout the CWA of NSW Awareness Week, branches across the state will encourage members, communities and decision-makers to support practical action that delivers better healthcare for regional, rural and remote communities. Included in this year’s Awareness Week is the ongoing call on the state government to convert the Royal Flying Doctor Service’s one-off $15 million grant for 2025-26 into ongoing annual funding.
Greg Sam, CEO, Royal Flying Doctor Service, (South Eastern Section) said, “For 90 years, the Royal Flying Doctor Service has been providing essential healthcare and emergency services to people living in rural and remote communities across New South Wales. Most of our workforce lives and works in the communities we support. Our pilots, nurses, doctors, mental health clinicians and support teams are part of the fabric of rural NSW. They are local people caring for local people.
“Ongoing core government funding would enable the RFDS to sustain our rurally based, essential health and medical teams, aeromedical bases and community-based health services. Funding certainty would ensure rural and remote communities can continue to access the healthcare they need, regardless of where they live,” he said.
Tanya Jolly said, “This isn’t about asking for something extraordinary – the solutions already exist. It’s about ensuring quality healthcare is available regardless of your postcode. Every family deserves that.
“The rural health crisis has been normalised for too long. It’s time we stopped accepting it – and started fixing it,” she concluded.
To find out what your local CWA of NSW branch has planned during Awareness Week visit www.cwaofnsw.org.au/branches
