Australian Town Offering Rs 3.6 Crore Salary For Doctor But There's A Catch

Julia Creek, a small town in Australia's Queensland is offering a salary of up to Rs 3.6 crore ($680,000 Australian) to a doctor who permanently shifts to the area to cater to its 500-odd residents. Apart from receiving the mega package which is roughly double the average salary of a family doctor in Brisbane, the doctor will not have to pay any rent and will receive a free car.

According to a report in The Independent, Dr Adam Louws, the longtime doctor of the town is set to relinquish his duties, prompting the residents to advertise the new job position.

While the perks are incredible, there is a catch.

The idyllic town of Julia Creek is located in the outback region of Australia which means it is quite isolated from the mainland. It takes a 17-hour drive from Brisbane and seven hours from the nearest major city, Townsville to reach there. The nearest hospital is also a three hours drive away which implies that the town desperately needs a doctor.

The successful candidate would get a fat paycheque but they will have to be prepared for living an outback life which includes extreme heat and tropical insects.

Despite the challenges, Dr Louws highlighted it was a unique opportunity for the right candidate who might prefer the quieter pace of life and a chance to develop a broader range of medical skills.

Dr Louws moved to the area in 2022 when a similar advertisement was floated. "My mother-in-law sent me a link to this news article saying, 'the half a million dollar job that no one wants'. My first thought when I saw it and I looked at it was, where's Julia Creek?"

Notably, prior to Dr Louws, the town did not have a permanent doctor for over 15 years with visiting physicians dropping in for short stays.

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Small towns struggling with basic facilities is not an Australia-only phenomenon. Trentino, an autonomous province in northern Italy recently announced that it will be handing out a one-time grant of Rs 92 lakh (100,000 euros) to those moving to there as the region struggles with depopulation. 

The only caveat is that Italy or Italians living abroad are eligible for the offer and even they will have to live in the area for 10 years or rent the property out of that length of time. As many as 33 towns on the brink of extinction are being considered for the project, which is set to receive final approval in the coming weeks.