Dentists
Dental Relocation and Infrastructure Support Scheme
The Dental Relocation and Infrastructure Support Scheme (DRISS) is a 2012-13 Budget measure that will provide scaled relocation grants and infrastructure grants to encourage and support dentists to relocate to regional, rural and remote areas, and assist them to establish their practices. Grants will be available from 2013-14. The measure will help improve dental workforce distribution and service delivery capacity in regional, rural and remote communities.
Questions and Answers
What is the measure?
When will this measure start?
What funding is available?
How much grant funding can a dentist access?
Where are eligible relocation areas?
Are there adequate resources to support relocating dentists?
Who will be involved in the measure?
What are the eligibility and selection requirements?
Are dentists required to stay in the new practice location for a specified period of time?
Can a dentist defer acceptance of a grant?
Is this measure duplicating other state and territory programs?
Is this the only Commonwealth program aimed at supporting the dental sector?
Where can further information about the Measure be found?
What is the measure?
The measure provides relocation and infrastructure grants to encourage and support dentists to relocate to regional, rural and remote areas, and assist them to establish new practices or expand existing practices. The measure will help improve dental workforce distribution and service delivery capacity in regional, rural and remote communities.
When will this measure start?
Development and implementation will commence from 1 July 2012, enabling grants to be made available from 2013-14.
What funding is available?
The measure will cost $77.7 million (GST exclusive) over four years from 2012-13. Funding will support development and administration of the scheme, infrastructure grants and scalable relocation grants.
How much grant funding can a dentist access?
Dentists will be able to apply for two types of grants:
- Relocation grants ranging from $15,000 up to $120,000, calculated according to the area the dentist is moving to as well as the area the dentist is moving from. The scaling of relocation grants provides higher incentives for dentists relocating to more remote areas to encourage better distribution of the dental workforce.
- Infrastructure grants of up to $250,000 to help with the purchase and fit-out of dental facilities and equipment.
Dentists relocating from metropolitan to very remote areas may be eligible for grants up to $370,000.
Applicants and participants are encouraged to seek advice from the Australian Taxation Office (external), about any impact the grants may have on their financial situation.
Where are eligible relocation areas?
Eligible areas will be determined using the Australian Standard Geographical Classification – Remoteness Areas (ASGC-RA) system. This system rates the remoteness of all locations in Australia and a map locator providing detailed information on specific locations is available at DoctorConnect (external). The actual distribution of grant recipients will depend on the applications received each year.
Are there adequate resources to support relocating dentists?
Dentists will be able to apply for infrastructure grants to assist in establishing a new practice or building onto an existing practice. The grant may not cover all the expenses involved in establishing a regional, rural or remote practice, but will be a contribution towards these costs.
Who will be involved in the measure?
Participants will be dentists wishing to relocate to more remote areas. The measure will be administered by one or more external administrators, expected to be engaged through a competitive selection process. The administrator/s will be largely responsible for advertising and seeking participants, calculating and providing grant payments, monitoring ongoing eligibility and the day to day running of the scheme.
What are the eligibility and selection requirements?
Eligibility and selection criteria are yet to be finalised. However, it is expected that applicants must be registered as a dentist with the Dental Board of Australia and be applying to relocate to an area in a ASGC-RA location that is more remote than their practice location in the previous 12 month period.
There is a finite amount of grant funding available each year. Therefore eligibly does not ensure a grant will be awarded. Selection criteria will be developed and the administrator/s will assess and rank applicants each year. Criteria may be targeted and/or amended from time to time in recognition of pressures in specific areas of need or other emerging issues.Are dentists required to stay in the new practice location for a specified period of time?
Dentists are not restricted or bonded to the area in which they relocate to. However, relocation grants will be distributed over a period of time, rather than being up front payments. Grant payments will cease if a dentist is no longer practicing in the area in which a relocation grant was provided for.
Can a dentist defer acceptance of a grant?
Whilst the guidelines have yet to be finalised, it is anticipated deferrals will not be supported. Applicants will be able to reapply for grants in subsequent years if they cannot accept a grant offer.
Is this measure duplicating other state and territory programs?
The measure is expected to build on rather than duplicate or replace existing jurisdictional efforts. The measure will support a national approach to improving dental workforce distribution and service delivery.
Is this the only Commonwealth program aimed at supporting the dental sector?
The measure will help improve the distribution of the dental workforce, which will help increase service delivery capacity in regional, rural and remote areas. The measure complements a range of other Commonwealth funded programs supporting the dental sector. Further information on Commonwealth funded dental measures is available on the Department of Health and Ageing website.
The Government is also funding two other dental workforce measures as part of the 2012-13 dental reform package. The Voluntary Dental Graduate Year Program will be expanded to support additional dental graduate placements. A similar oral health therapist (OHT) graduate year program will be established to support OHT graduate placements in the public sector and areas of need, which may include regional, rural and remote areas.
Where can further information about the Measure be found?
Information will be placed on the Department’s website as it becomes available, including information regarding the administration of the measure. This information can also be accessed through the Dental Workforce Information Line on 1800 613 600. Once appointed, the administrator/s will provide information on the program guidelines and application and selection processes.
The Dental Section, Health Workforce Division, can be contacted via the following email DWP@health.gov.au.
