Supporting Change in Regional and Remote Communities
Health support shouldn’t depend on your postcode
For many people living outside metro areas, accessing health services can feel like a logistical puzzle. Long travel times, limited local options, and workforce shortages all contribute to a system where support is harder to reach. And when it comes to preventive health – like nutrition, movement, and wellbeing – these barriers can mean missing out entirely on important support.
Yet the need is just as great, if not greater, in regional and remote communities. The challenge is clear: how do we make preventive health support more accessible, without asking communities to change their routines or travel long distances?
The core issue: access, equity, and sustainability
According to the Australian Institiute of Health and Welfare (2024) nearly one-third of Australians live outside major cities, with many residing in regional and remote communities across states like Western Australia and South Australia. These areas span vast distances and include diverse populations, from farming towns and coastal hubs to mining regions and inland centres. While these communities are rich in resilience and local knowledge, they often face systemic challenges when it comes to accessing health services.
Limited infrastructure, fewer local providers, and long travel times can make it harder to engage with preventive health care. This includes services that support nutrition, movement, and mental wellbeing – areas where small changes can have a big impact. For health professionals and community organisations, the challenge is not just delivering services, but ensuring they’re accessible, sustainable, and relevant to the people they’re designed to support.
What’s working: free, flexible, and evidence-based support
One of the most effective ways to support regional communities is by removing the barriers to participation. That means offering services that are free, easy to access, and grounded in evidence. It also means designing services that don’t rely entirely on in-person delivery or local infrastructure.
Better Health Company’s healthy lifestyle programs are available online all year round, making them accessible from anywhere with a phone signal or an internet connection. Our programs are designed to be flexible and inclusive, with delivery models that ensure where you live doesn’t determine whether you can participate.
These formats are designed to work in real-life settings. Whether someone lives in a farming town, a coastal community, or a remote mining region, they can access support that’s practical, personalised, and aligned with national health guidelines.
How Better Health Company supports regional and remote communities
Better Health Company is committed to making health support available to everyone, regardless of location. Our programs are:
- Free to eligible participants, removing cost as a barrier
- Delivered through phone coaching or flexible family formats, so no travel is required
- Evidence-based, with content aligned to national dietary and movement guidelines
- Designed for real life, with tools and strategies that work in everyday settings
We also work with health professionals and community organisations to share resources, answer questions, and support referrals. Whether you’re a GP, a nurse, a school wellbeing coordinator, or a community worker, we’re here to help you connect families and adults with the support they need.
Making health support easier to access
Supporting health in regional and remote communities doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel. It means making proven resources easier to access and ensuring that location isn’t a barrier to better health.
If you’re working in WA or SA and want to share information or refer someone to our programs, we’d love to hear from you. Together, we can make health support more equitable, more practical, and more impactful.
