The provision of healthcare services in Australia is a responsibility of the Australian and State Governments. In some regional areas, relatively smaller populations, high demand for health professionals, complex health needs, and higher cost of delivering services has resulted in many communities not having equitable access to primary healthcare services.
WA Local Governments are increasingly providing financial and in-kind support to primary healthcare services to securing essential services for their communities.
Priorities
WALGA is working with Members and allied organisations to advocate for healthcare reforms that remove the financial impost on Local Governments to support the provision of essential healthcare services for their communities.
This includes targeted actions towards the Australian and State Government aligned to their roles within the provision of healthcare services as well as identifying mechanisms for policy collaboration.
Resources
WALGA has conducted two surveys of WA Local Governments to ascertain the extent of the support being provided to secure primary health services. The Survey Reports provide comprehensive data on the cost, nature and geographical location of Local Government support.
The 2025 Survey Infographic provides a one-page overview of the 2025 Report key findings, including:
- 41 Local Government respondents are providing support to GP services
- $9.5 million was contributed to support GP services
- 91% was contributed by Local Governments with populations under 5,000
Local Governments are encouraged to share these resources to support their advocacy activities.
Rural Health West provides free advice to Local Governments looking to support general practices, including recruitment, sourcing locums, providing orientations for new staff, sustainability and viability studies, and developing unique solutions to local health workforce issues. Find out more here.
WALGA is also assisting Local Governments in their advocacy efforts.
Find out more about the Local Government Rural Health Funding Alliance.
