During my undergraduate degree, I was fortunate enough to complete a number of regional placements across Victoria, including in Wangaratta, Shepparton, Ballarat and Bendigo. 

Working alongside dedicated local teams, sharing accommodation with fellow students and becoming part of the fabric of each town enriched both my practice and my understanding of what healthcare means to regional Australians. 

The sense of community and connection was tangible.

In our 2023 Workforce Census, we found that while 69 per cent of APA members live and work in metropolitan areas, approximately one in three respondents were willing to work rurally. 

Primary barriers include the long distances from family and friends, alongside financial concerns. 

However, when appropriate support and incentives are offered—such as funded placements, rural scholarships and the option to reduce HELP debt—health professionals are more likely to make the transition to rural practice. 

In fact, 49 per cent of physiotherapists identified financial support as essential to assisting with a move to a rural or remote location. 

Strong government backing and targeted policies, similar to the HELP for Rural Doctors and Nurse Practitioners initiative, would make a significant difference to the number of practitioners working in regional areas. 

The census also showed that the majority of physiotherapists working in rural environments are foundational or intermediate-level practitioners, with only 29 per cent operating at highly developed or expert levels. 

This imbalance largely stems from a lack of access to professional development courses and training. 

Our new education strategy is designed to tackle this issue by contemporising our online offerings, expanding hybrid delivery options and upgrading facilities to trial live streaming of courses and lectures. 

We’re also looking at restructuring face-to-face courses to reduce the burden of multiple long-distance trips for rural practitioners.

For rural patients, healthcare access presents significant challenges. 

For example, chronic disease management plans only provide five Medicare-supported sessions, leading to high out-of-pocket expenses. 

When this is combined with the need to travel long distances to access specialist services, it makes managing health a complicated proposition. 

This is precisely why the APA has serious concerns about the changes the NDIA is instigating, which would compound an already difficult situation. 

Reducing travel funding will limit essential services and disincentivise practitioners working outside of rural areas from travelling to treat patients in these locations, ultimately forcing patients to fund their own travel or go without care.

The workforce challenges we see across physiotherapy are heightened in regional, rural and remote locations.

The physical workload and burnout experienced by physiotherapists are intensified by professional isolation and the need to develop broader generalist skills because the full spectrum of professional services isn’t available locally.

Exploring a rural generalist pathway and creating opportunities for professional mentorship may alleviate some of this burden. 

The ability to expand our scope of practice—including making direct referrals to surgeons and imaging services and taking on advanced practice roles—becomes even more critical in these underserved locations.

To increase the number of physiotherapists working in regional, rural and remote locations, we are advocating for enhanced government support and financial incentives while simultaneously expanding and modernising our educational offerings. 

My student experience showed me that while relocating comes with genuine challenges, it offers extraordinary opportunities for professional and personal growth. 

The connections you forge, the breadth of skills you develop and the impact you have create a deeply rewarding career path. 

The current barriers are real and require urgent attention but they shouldn’t overshadow the profound difference that rural physiotherapists make to their communities.