Demonstrating a new approach to planning and monitoring rural medical training distribution to meet population need in North West Queensland

Table 1 Characteristics of North West Queensland’s region

Sub-region	Area (‘000 km²)	Population^a (‘000)	Density (per km²)	Main towns
Cairns^b	8	185	23.1	Cairns, Innisfail
Central Qld	114	206	1.8	Rockhampton, Gladstone, Yeppoon
Central West	396	12	0.03	Longreach
Mackay	90	167	1.9	Mackay, Bowen, Airlie Beach
North West	198	29	0.15	Mt Isa, Cloncurry
South West	319	26	0.08	Roma, Charleville
Sunshine Coast	10	353	35.3	Sunshine Coast, Gympie, Nambour
Tablelands^b	135	47	0.35	Mareeba, Atherton
Torres & Cape	130	23	0.18	Weipa, Thursday Island
Townsville	189	222	1.2	Townsville, Charters Towers, Ayr
Wide Bay	37	201	5.4	Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Maryborough

^aPopulation counts as per the 2011 Australian census
^bCairns and Hinterland sub-region (see Fig. 1) is separated into two sub-regions by the regional training organisation (Cairns, Tablelands)

ISSN: 1472-6963