A community-led initiative backed by three local coal mines is making a real difference to healthcare in the Mudgee region, attracting five new GPs and helping reopen medical services that had been unavailable to local families.
Doctors 4 Mudgee Region received the People’s Choice Award at the annual NSW Mining Parliamentary Dinner, following its recognition in the Community Excellence category of the 2026 NSW Mining Health, Safety, Environment and Community Awards.
The program has been running for three years so far, and is funded by Glencore’s Ulan, Yancoal’s Moolarben and Peabody’s Wilpinjong operations, working alongside Mid-Western Regional Council and a volunteer community board.
The program aims to attract ten new GPs, offering eligible doctors a $45,000 incentive and a personalised lifestyle concierge service to help their families find housing, employment connections and schools. Before the program began, the region had a GP-to-resident ratio more than double the national average.
“Gulgong had been without a resident GP for over 18 months. Mudgee’s only two GP centres had been closed to new patients for 18 months. Families were struggling to access basic healthcare, I know because I was one of them,” said Program Coordinator Kate Day.
“The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that life expectancy decreases with increasing remoteness. As a rural Australian, I cannot accept that where we call home should mean fewer years to live.”
The results are already being felt. Gulgong now has two GPs working alongside a nurse practitioner, with more than 1,000 new patients registered within six months of the practice reopening. Mudgee Medical Centre also reopened its books, accepting 350 new patients in just three weeks.
“One full-time GP can see 25 patients a day or 125 patients a week. Behind every number is someone who can now access healthcare closer to home,” Kate said.
Kate thanked Glencore, Yancoal and Peabody, along with Mid-Western Regional Council, the volunteer committee and participating healthcare teams, for their support of the community-led initiative.
“Our funding partners also gave us something equally as valuable, their trust. They empowered myself and our committee to act with the autonomy and minimal red tape needed to respond quickly.”
While celebrating the progress, Kate stressed there was still work to do, calling on industry and government leaders to continue supporting locally led solutions with long-term investment.
“Ten doctors is a recruitment target, not a finish line. Tomorrow, our community still needs doctors. Our measure of success will always be whether someone who needs a doctor can see one.
“Because a postcode should tell you where someone lives, not determine the healthcare that they can access.”
