Community & Business
9 October, 2026
Mareeba health project on the national stage
MAREEBA Shire’s approach to rural primary health care challenges has gained national attention, with local initiatives presented at the 18th National Rural Health Conference in Adelaide.
Over 1000 delegates from across Australia attended the conference, where Mareeba representatives shared the shire’s regional approach to developing a local response to primary health care needs.
A competitive abstract process selected four presentations, and they featured alongside rural health projects from across the country.
Deputy Mayor Lenore Wyatt, Cr Ross Cardillo, Louise Livingstone and Leah Stevenson represented Mareeba and Communities Family Health Care, presenting on the project developments, Black Cockatoo Foundation initiatives, Mental Health Champions, the increase in GPs at Mareeba Medical and the development of the Allied Health Network.
“It was rewarding to see Mareeba’s work recognised nationally and to share how local solutions are making a real difference in our comm-unities,” Cr Wyatt said.
“The presentations highlighted a practical approach to rural primary health care, with local challenges identified and solutions developed around the needs of Mareeba Shire communities.
“That work is already producing results.
“Mareeba Medical has increased GP capacity from 2.5 to six full-time equivalent GPs, established an outreach clinic at Mutchilba, trained Mental Health Champions, and is investigating options to expand outreach services to Chillagoe, Almaden and Irvinebank.”
Australian Rural Health Alliance chief executive officer Susi Tegan acknowledged the work done locally, describing the community’s achievements as “extraordinary”.
The conference gave the Mareeba representatives a chance not only to learn from rural primary health projects across Australia, but also to show what communities can achieve when they develop their own solutions.
Mareeba’s presence at the national conference showed that locally led ideas from Far North Queensland can contribute to the wider conversation about improving rural primary health care across Australia.
