Cooma Hospital and Health Service is set to welcome healthcare staff into its newly completed key worker accommodation, which comprises 12 modern units. This initiative, backed by the NSW Government, aims to address the recruitment and retention challenges faced by healthcare facilities, particularly in regional areas.
PHOTO: Member for Monaro Steve Whan toured the facility when it was nearing completion in December 2024.
The two-storey accommodation complex, situated on the hospital grounds on Bombala Street, features six units per floor. Each unit is fully furnished and self-contained, offering a light-filled living and dining area, modern kitchen, bedroom with ensuite, internal laundry, and a screened veranda. A communal room and deck provide a space for healthcare workers to relax and socialise.
Steve Whan, Member for Monaro, praised the new facilities, saying, “Cooma’s key worker accommodation units look fantastic, are well designed and equipped, and will be vital in attracting and retaining health workers in the area.”
PHOTO: Member for Monaro, Steve Whan.
Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park, emphasised the critical nature of staffing healthcare facilities across the state. “We face a no more critical issue than staffing our healthcare facilities across the state, and that challenge is exacerbated in regional, rural and remote communities,” he stated. “I’m proud this government has played a part in delivering accommodation for healthcare workers in Cooma.”
This project is part of the broader Key Worker Accommodation (KWA) Program, into which the Minns Labor Government has recently injected an additional $200.1 million. The Southern NSW Local Health District (SNSWLHD) is one of the beneficiaries, receiving $24 million to further bolster accommodation efforts in Eurobodalla, Bega, and Crookwell.
The accommodation units represent a significant investment in regional healthcare, aiming to make rural positions more attractive and provide a quality lifestyle for those considering relocating to regional towns.