South West Region

Balranald is a small and quiet town of approximately 1,100 people in the Balranald Shire of the Riverina district. Balranald is situated 170km from Dareton; 160km from Mildura; and 450km from Broken Hill.

Balranald is located on the western edge of the vast Hay plain, and it sits on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River. Today Balranald is a service centre for the surrounding irrigation district. Students will be able to access the newly established Yanga National Park, and can choose to do a bit of fishing in any one of the many rivers near the town.

Balranald Health Service is a Multipurpose Service (MPS) with 24-hour level 2 emergency and sub-acute inpatient services, residential aged care services, and a range of primary, community and ambulatory services.

Residential aged care services are provided in an environment suitable for people with dementia. The full range of support services such as allied health is available. These services are provided by visiting clinicians from Mildura, Swan Hill or Dareton.

The inpatient beds consists of a 2 bay emergency department, 8 acute/sub-acute beds including an observation room, 1 observation/safe room located in the Emergency Department, 15 high care residential aged care places including 4 dementia specific, one respite bed and provision for 3 renal dialysis chairs.

Medical services are provided by the town’s general practitioner, whose offices are co-located at the MPS.

Student accommodation is located near Balranald Multipurpose Service.  A vehicle is not necessary to get around Balranald, however students are strongly encouraged to bring their own vehicle.

Far West Local Health District Orientation Package, Balranald Multipurpose Service (pdf)

Dareton is a small town in the Wentworth Shire of approximately 500 people located right next to the Victorian border. The town is situated 20km from the regional centre of Mildura; 170km to Balranald; 12km to Wentworth; and 280km to Broken Hill.

Dareton is also the regional centre for the BHUDRH, with its training hub established in Dareton Primary Health Service (Dareton PMS). Dareton’s primary industry is agriculture (i.e. growing grapes and various dried fruit), and it also draws keen golfers, anglers and campers.

Dareton Primary Health Centre covers the Wentworth and Balranald Shire and provides a hub for a diverse range of services for the whole community. This clinic provides only primary health care and operates Monday to Friday during business hours.

Primary Health Nursing services including Palliative Care Specialists, Sexual Health nurse, Diabetic Educator, Women’s Health nurse, an Aged Care assessment team, Child and Family Health Nurse, Community Midwife, Generalist Primary Health nurses, Psycho-oncology Counsellor, Social Worker and Aboriginal Health Workers. They also have visiting services from specialists and allied health (from Mildura, Robinvale, or by telehealth). There is also a Mental Health Department with clinicians for child & adolescent Mental health, youth, drug & alcohol and counselling services. They access visiting and telehealth Mental Health specialists.

There are no medical services provided on site at the clinic. Clients are either referred back to their own general practitioner or to the Coomealla Health Aboriginal Corporation (CHAC) or Mildura & District Aboriginal Services (MDAS).

 Coomealla Health Aboriginal Corporation (CHAC) are a community controlled Aboriginal Medical Service. They have on-site GP's and access to a range of specialists, either on-site or via telehealth. They also have health services provided by nursing and health staff. A Diabetes Nurse, Dietician, Counsellor, Midwife, Registered and Enrolled nurses and Aboriginal Health Practitioners. They also have Health Promotion and Kumpa Kirra Teams, and offer a range of health and support groups within the community.

 Student accommodation is available in the town of Buronga (18 km away), a small border town across the river from Mildura.  Students are required to bring their own vehicle, as public transportation is very limited between Buronga and Dareton. 

The Wentworth Health Service consists of a 15 bed facility with 4 sub-acute beds, 8 transition care beds, 2 palliative care and 1 drug & alcohol related bed. The facility is located just outside the Wentworth community and the site contains multiple aged buildings which are no longer in use.

The local Day Care Centre is co-located with Wentworth and the Home and Community Care team also share this accommodation.

A private residential aged care facility is located in the town centre in Wentworth, as are a small GP facility. NSW Ambulance Service has a base on the edge of the town.  The main primary health facilities within the Shire are located in Dareton.

Student accommodation is available on the hospital grounds in Wentworth. While a vehicle is not necessary to get about in Wentworth, students are still encouraged to bring their own vehicle, as public transportation is very limited between Wentworth and surrounding towns including Mildura, a popular tourist town located just over 30km away.

Tour the Wentworth Region