The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has opened a new office in Townsville, a move that signals a serious commitment to building the GP workforce across North and Far North Queensland. For practices and doctors working across the region, the new local base means more direct support for training, supervision and career development — without having to look south.

What the new office actually does

The Townsville presence is designed to strengthen support for GP registrars, supervisors and training practices while helping grow the local medical workforce. Practically, that means the RACGP will have people on the ground who understand northern Queensland’s health landscape, can build stronger relationships with local practices, and can help more doctors see specialist general practice as a viable career path close to home.

Why proximity matters for GP recruitment

RACGP Rural Chair and local GP Associate Professor Michael Clements made the case directly: for many medical students and junior doctors, training and working closer to home is a powerful incentive to stay and build their careers in regional communities. That is exactly the kind of message recruiters in northern Queensland will want to hear — a locally embedded college presence tends to translate into more registrar placements, more supervised training capacity and a steadier pipeline of new GPs into regional practices.

What it means for practices and job seekers

For practice owners, the office should make it easier to take on registrars and access training support, which is often the practical route to growing a permanent team in a rural location. For GP job seekers and international medical graduates weighing locations, it is also a signal worth noting: the RACGP is investing in northern Queensland as a place where a GP career can genuinely thrive — not just a short-term posting.

The RACGP said the office will support its activities across North and Far North Queensland and deepen partnerships with healthcare providers, training organisations and community stakeholders, reflecting its ongoing commitment to making sure regional, rural and remote communities have access to the specialist GP workforce they need — now and into the future.

This article draws on reporting from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) — read the original media release here: https://www.racgp.org.au/gp-news/media-releases/2026-media-releases/july-2026/racgp-opens-townsville-office-to-strengthen-gp-tra