An extra ten thousand dollars is the latest carrot dangled in front of healthcare workers in an attempt to draw them into remote and regional areas across the state. 

This month the NSW Government announced that the $10,000 sign-on bonus and retention payments would be doubled to up to $20,000 as recruitment efforts show no sign of improvement. 

The payment is part of a range of additional benefits including a salary boost, relocation assistance and housing, additional leave and access to training and education. 

When the original payment was announced in 2022, Member for Barwon Roy Butler said that drawing workers is about more than financial benefits and relief. 

“The incentive payment needs to be part of a larger package that makes regional areas more attractive places to live, by improving childcare, schools, roads, housing, having retail outlets with fresh produce…,” Mr Butler said at the time. 

Following the new announcement, Mr Butler maintains that improvements to livability are needed, but the new incentive figure is promising. 

“While there are still other things to sort out such as wages and conditions, doubling the incentive is getting closer to something that might entice more health workers to take up jobs in Western NSW,” he said. 

The packages will be scaled and increase in value in more remote locations, with the $20,000 figure reserved for the hardest to fill positions in remote communities with critical staff vacancies. 

“I’m confident that by doubling the incentives on offer, we can attract more health staff to our regions,” Premier Chris Minns said.

The payment will come under the Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme. 

According to iWork for NSW, there are 73 vacancies for nursing roles in the Western NSW Local Health District alone.