Two years after the first sod was turned in early 2023 by former MLC, Bronnie Taylor, and former Member for Monaro, Nichole Overall, Cooma’s modern healthcare worker accommodation is now complete.

The thirteen units, including one communal unit, were manufactured off-site, transported to Cooma, and installed on Bombala Street on the hospital and health service site.

The two-storey complex houses six units on each floor (two of these units are wheelchair accessible). Each unit is fully furnished, self-contained, and features a light-filled living and dining area, modern kitchen, bedroom with ensuite, an internal laundry and a screened veranda.

The recent connection of services, furnishing, fencing, and landscaping ensures the new units are fit-for-purpose, comfortable and welcoming for much-needed healthcare workers.

The first tenants are booked in to arrive from April 28.

“We expect the units to be quite busy from this time as we are heading into winter which puts us in a higher activity period, while we support the snow season,” acting director of nursing and midwifery, site manager Cooma, Kate Carpenter, said.

Southern NSW Local Health District (SNSWLHD) is one of three regional local health districts to benefit from a $45.3 million investment to deliver accommodation for health workers under the Key Worker Accommodation Program, which was delivered in partnership with Health Infrastructure.

“We are most grateful for the accommodation, this is a big solution to our recruitment and retention problem, specific to Cooma but also across the state for rural and regional areas.

“We have very skilled clinicians across the state who we know would like to work in the bush, but one of the challenges, and a big part of their decision-making is they don’t have anywhere to stay when they get here.

“The opportunity for them to come here hasn’t happened because of this, meaning we miss out on having those skilled clinicians visit us,” Ms Carpenter said.

Due to the success of the program the NSW Labor Government has invested an additional $200.1 million into Key Health Worker Accommodation across NSW.

As part of this $200.1 million Government program an additional $24 million has been invested in key worker accommodation in SNSWLHD for health workers in Eurobodalla, Bega and Crookwell.

“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,” Member for Monaro, Steve Whan, said.

“As we welcome the first workers into the Cooma units, we encourage other healthcare workers to think about making the move to a rural or regional town to live and work and enjoy the quality lifestyle that this offers.”

Regional Health Minister, Ryan Park, said working in regional, rural and remote communities is an incredibly rewarding experience.

“Having clean, new accommodation close to work is an attractive prospect for people who are thinking about taking up a job in the bush.”