BDI Resourcing Australia
Interactive tool

Distribution Priority Area map

A visual guide to where an overseas-trained GP can work and still access a Medicare provider number under s.19AB of the Health Insurance Act.

Map not loading in the frame? Open the full-screen atlas. Always cross-check the official Health Workforce Locator.

Read this first

Distribution Priority Area classifications change at the annual DPA review. This map is a guide only. The authoritative tool is the government Health Workforce Locator - always check the exact practice address there on the day before relying on anything.

What this map shows

This atlas brings together the three layers that decide where an internationally trained GP can realistically start work in Australia: Distribution Priority Area (DPA) catchments, Modified Monash Model remoteness, and the locations of general practices. Seeing them on one map makes it easier to understand why two towns that look similar can offer very different options for an overseas GP.

Why distribution priority area status matters for overseas GPs

Section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act imposes a 10-year moratorium on overseas-trained doctors. In practice that means, for your first decade, you generally need to work in a DPA location to be granted a Medicare provider number and bill the Medicare Benefits Schedule. Registration as a specialist GP and a provider number are two different things, and this is the rule that ties your provider number to geography. The complete picture is set out in our complete guide for UK and Irish GPs moving to Australia.

DPA is not the same as the Modified Monash Model

The Modified Monash Model runs from MMM1 (major cities) to MMM7 (very remote communities) and describes remoteness. DPA describes workforce shortage. The two overlap but are decided separately, so a practice can sit in one category and not the other. Time worked in more remote areas can also scale down the moratorium, which is why the remoteness layer matters alongside DPA when you are weighing up a role.

How to use the map

Pan and zoom to a region you are considering, switch the layers on and off, and look at how DPA status, remoteness and nearby practices line up. Treat it as a way to shortlist places to research properly, not as a final answer for any single address.

Always confirm against the official source

Classifications change at the annual DPA review. The authoritative tools are the government Health Workforce Locator and DoctorConnect. Always check the exact practice address there on the day before relying on anything you see here. For more background, browse the rest of the guide library.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Distribution Priority Area?
A Distribution Priority Area (DPA) is a classification used by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to identify the parts of Australia with the greatest need for doctors. For overseas-trained GPs it matters because of section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act: for your first 10 years you generally need to work in a DPA location to access a Medicare provider number and bill Medicare.
Why does DPA matter for UK and Irish GPs?
Specialist registration as a GP lets you practise, but a Medicare provider number is what lets you bill the Medicare Benefits Schedule. Under the 10-year moratorium, overseas-trained doctors usually need to be in a DPA to get that number, so where a practice sits on the map directly affects whether a role works for you early in your career here.
Is DPA the same as the Modified Monash Model?
No. The Modified Monash Model (MMM1 metropolitan to MMM7 very remote) measures geographic remoteness, while DPA measures workforce need. They overlap but are set separately, and a location can be one without being the other. The map lets you see both so you are not relying on a single layer.
Can working rurally shorten the 10-year moratorium?
Time spent in more remote areas can scale the moratorium down, so the same calendar years count for more the further out you work. The exact scaling is set by the Department and your own circumstances, so use this map to explore options and confirm your position through DoctorConnect.
Is this map an official determination?
No. It is a planning aid, not a legal determination. Classifications change at the annual DPA review, so always confirm the exact practice address in the government Health Workforce Locator before you rely on anything.