HNA LGA – Coffs Harbour 2025

Coffs Harbour - LGA

Health Needs Assessment 2025 - 2028

Coffs Harbour Local Government Area (LGA)

An overview of the Coffs Harbour local government area (LGA) health needs is provided. The Health Needs Assessment (HNA) process utilised a comprehensive, mixed-methods approach to collect and analyse data on the health and service needs of the North Coast region.

Key Information

Health Needs Assessment Coffs Harbour LGA

The Coffs Harbour Local Government Area (LGA) is on the Traditional Lands of the Gumbaynggirr Nation. Coffs Harbour LGA is part of the Mid North Coast Local Health District and Coffs Harbour SA3. It includes the major regional city of Coffs Harbour, as well as a mix of coastal, mountain, and rural communities.

The region has a rich variety of habitats, from mountain ranges to the ocean, with mangrove forests, wetlands, seagrass meadows, and coastal lakes. As a key tourist destination, Coffs Harbour’s economy is supported by industries such as agriculture, education, health, and construction, making it a dynamic and diverse area.

Footnote: throughout this document ‘survey’ refers to the 2024 Better Health Community survey undertaken as part of the Health Needs Assessment 2025-28 consultation process

Key messages

DEMOGRAPHICS AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS

  • Population 79,423, 15% of the North Coast population. Projected to increase by 2% by 2031 (compared to 5% increase North Coast).
  • Population density: 67 residents per km2 (17 per km2 North Coast).
  • 6% identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (6% North Coast).
  • Median age 44 (47 North Coast, 39 NSW) lowest across the North Coast LGAs.
  • 7% of population born in non-English speaking countries (1% North Coast, 19% NSW, 16% Australia).
  • 23% aged 65 years or over, projected to increase by 16% by 2031 (18% increase North Coast and 29% NSW).
  • Nearly 1 in 4 children assessed as vulnerable in one or more areas of early childhood development
  • Full immunisation rates for children are similar to the NSW and Australian rates
    • 95% of 1-year-old children (94% in NSW and Australia)
    • 92% of 2-year-old children (92% NSW and Australia)
    • 95% of 5-year-old children (94% NSW and Australia).

• 60% of people aged 65 years and over had at least one long-term health condition.
• 2% of the population live with dementia (2% NSW and Australia). Expected to increase as the 65 years and over population increases.
• 53% of survey respondents reported the ageing population is one of the most serious health concerns in the community.
• 57% of survey respondents found accessing services for older people difficult. Challenges included a lack of services and difficulty in organising services.

Opportunity: Enhance healthy ageing strategies and targeted preventative health initiatives. Continue to work in partnership to support recruitment and retention of the healthcare workforce and enhance integration and coordination of care. 

Did you know: Care finders is a free service. It exists to support vulnerable people who have no one else who can support them to learn about, Care Finders. 

HNC works in partnership with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal people. Galambila Aboriginal Health Service provides culturally appropriate primary healthcare services and support to Coffs Harbour’s Aboriginal population including chronic conditions management, child and maternal health, mental health, health checks, allied health, youth dental and outreach to Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Pete’s Place.

  • 26% of people had an Aboriginal health check in Coffs Harbour  – Coastal SA3 

Connection to country and culture is key for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples social and emotional wellbeing. Programs that Aboriginal peoples identified to help keep Aboriginal communities healthy and strong:

  • Exercise and fitness
  • Women’s health
  • Art and cultural programs
  • Yarning circles
  • Health screening services
  •  
  • 61 per 1,000 people need assistance due to age or severe disability (75 per 1,000 North Coast, 58 per 1,000 NSW). 
  • 2% of people report very low proficiency in English (5% NSW). Higher than the North Coast average.
  • 10 per 1,000 people experienced domestic and family violence. Increased 37% from 2021, the second highest in the North Coast and higher than NSW average (4 per 1,000).
  • The median total personal income was $688 per week ($652 North Coast) (NSW $813).
  • Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD) score of 972.
  • 4 in 5 survey respondents indicated housing availability as a concern in the community. Other areas of concern are cost of living and problematic alcohol and other drug use.

Opportunity: Through partnerships, increase and strengthen access to health supports and care for people impacted by family and domestic violence.

  • 2 in 1000 people experience homelessness (4 in 1000 in North Coast and NSW, 9 in 1000 in Australia).
  • 3 in 1000 people at risk of homelessness (4 in 1000 in North Coast, NSW and 7 in 1000 in Australia).
  • 624 people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. This is the second highest number in the North Coast region.

There is limited availability of affordable housing in the Coffs Harbour LGA. Of the 120 rental properties available

  • 2 properties were affordable to a couple with 2 children on minimum wage receiving FTB A and B
  • no other properties were affordable for individuals or couples receiving benefits and pensions or on minimum wage.

Adequate access to affordable housing is fundamental to the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.

  • 38% single or lone households (25% NSW) and 9% group homes (4% NSW)

Social isolation can increase health risks

Opportunity: Enhance support by integrating services for individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.

Key messages

PRIMARY HEALTHCARE NEEDS IN THE LGA

When you we’re asked…

What kind of programs would you like more of, to keep you and your community healthy and strong?

  • Exercise and fitness
  • Health screening services
  • Women’s health
  • Support with daily living / personal care

Which do you see as the most serious health concerns in your community?

  • Ageing population
  • Lack of access to health care
  • Mental health issues
  • Drug and alcohol use

  • 1 in 8 people have 2 or more chronic conditions.
  • The most common chronic conditions are anxiety and osteoarthritis.

Opportunity: Partner with LHDs and community organisations to strengthen preventive health programs and enhance support for vulnerable populations, including people experiencing homelessness, those with disabilities and from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Cancer screening participation:

  • 43% National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NSW 40%)
  • 58% BreastScreen Australia (NSW 50%)
  • 47% National Cervical Screening Program (NSW 46%).

The most diagnosed cancers:

  1. Urogenital cancer
  2. Skin cancer
  3. Lymphohematopoietic cancer

The cancer with the highest mortality rate is respiratory cancer. 

Shared experiences with mental health:

  • 1 in 10 people needed to access a mental health service but couldn’t
  • 5 in 10 people reported mental health as one of the most serious health concerns in the community
  • 6 in 10 found it difficult to access a psychologist, counsellor or social worker.
  • The top challenges to access mental health services:
    • cost
    • lack of services
    • difficulty to organise appointments.

  • In Coffs Harbour SA3, which includes Coffs Harbour  LGA, rate of suicide deaths 16 per 100,000 population (11 per 100,000 population NSW).
  • Nearly 2 in 10 people in the Mid North Coast local health district (LHD) area, experience high or very high levels of psychological distress.

Opportunity: strengthen preventive and treatment health programs and partnerships. Enhance integration and coordination between primary care, hospitals, and community services.

Did you know: Medicare Mental Health Centres can help you access the local mental health services and supports that are right for you. No referral needed, access by phoning 1800 595 212 or visit the website.

Coffs Harbour Health Campus is a major regional hospital providing a range of services to patients from Coffs Harbour LGA and neighbouring LGAs. While Coffs Harbour has relatively good health infrastructure compared to more regional areas, low numbers of specialists and servicing demands of local area and nearby LGAs means availability and long wait times are challenges.

Community health centres in Coffs Harbour and Woolgoolga provide various primary and allied health services.

  • 16 general practices
  • 118 general practitioners (GPs)
  • For every full time GP there are 714 patients
  • 18 pharmacies
  • 68 pharmacists
  • 67 dentists
  • Nearly 3 in 5 survey respondents found it a bit hard or very hard to see a GP when they needed it.
  • After-hours GP attendances rate in Coffs Harbour -SA3 is 4% (Australia 17%). 

Opportunity: Enhance digital health services and education to improve inclusive access to care, particularly for vulnerable populations. Continue to work in partnership to support recruitment and retention of the healthcare workforce.

Did you know: If you need medical advice and care, call Healthdirect for free, 24/7 on 1800 022 222 and speak to a registered nurse. 

Did you know: Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Coffs Harbour provides urgent, bulk-billed health care in a general practice setting. View details

HNC commissions a range of community-based services to address local health needs.

These include:

  • Aboriginal health
  • Alcohol & Other Drugs
  • Integrated Team Care
  • Mental Health
  • Youth specific

View more information about the services available in Coffs Harbour LGA

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HNA Homepage

View Health Needs Assessment Homepage

HNA LGAs Map

View Health Needs Assessment LGAs Map

HNA Priority Areas List

View Health Needs Assessment Priority Areas List

Our regional partners

  • Local Health District partners in our footprint: Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) & Northern New South Wales Local Health District (NNSWLHD)
  • Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS)
  • The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
  • Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)
  • Rural Doctors Network (RDN)
  • Rural Clinical Schools & Regional Training Hubs
  • General Practitioners
  • Registrars and International Medical Graduates
  • North Coast Allied Health Association (NCAHA)
  • Local Councils
    Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA)
  • Universities including: Charles Sturt University (CSU), University of New South Wales (UNSW), Southern Cross University (SCU)

Aged Care Disaster Management Planning

Strategic Priority Area: One team

North Coast is identified as the region most likely to be impacted by climate change in Australia and also forecasted greatest growth in those 65+.

Healthy North Coast takes a lead role in ensuring the older population and the sector that supports them are prepared for, can respond to and recover from disasters and other emergencies.

We have led eight regional disaster management capacity building workshops, bringing together SES, community organisations and the aged care sector.

We have also developed disaster preparedness tip sheets for both residential and community aged care providers.

Voluntary Assisted Dying

Strategic Priority Area: One team

In May 2022, the NSW Parliament passed the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2022. Effective from Tuesday, 28 November 2023, eligible people have the choice to access voluntary assisted dying. 

Healthy North Coast has developed a webpage for both health professionals and consumers, with links to available information and resources.

Living with Dementia resources

Strategic Priority Area: No one is left behind

Healthy North Coast has worked with people living with dementia, their families and local service providers to develop an information booklet that will help them connect with local and national supports along their journey.

Highly regarded by a range of professional supporting those on or starting the dementia journey, the booklet includes commonly asked questions for people to ask their GP and/or specialist.

“It’s a fantastic resource and I give it to everyone on their first diagnosis. Its easy to read, so well planned and thought through and has lots of really useful information, tailored to the region.
I also find it very helpful when educating clinical staff.”

−Geropsychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Mid North Coast.

The resource is available in digital and printed copies, with more than 5,000 distributed across the region. An e-version is available to clinicians via the Dementia and Cognitive Impairment HealthPathway.

Deteriorating Resident Triage Tool Pilot

Strategic Priority Area: One team

The Deteriorating Resident Response Tool (DRRT) has been developed to guide RN’s in Residential Aged Care homes (RACHs) to better understand, anticipate and make clinical decisions responding to the deteriorating health of residents.

The objective of the DRRT is to give RACH staff clear information to triage and provide appropriate care for a range of residents’ health conditions, and, in turn, prevent unnecessary presentations to ED.

The tool has been designed together with a specialist geriatrician, consulting with stakeholders such as Residential Aged Care Managers, NSW Ambulance, GPs, and experts from Mid and North Coast LHDs.

The pilot commences in March with four participating RACHs. Evaluation measures will include effectiveness in building RN confidence and reported reduction in unnecessary hospitalisations. Findings will inform a future planned, region-wide implementation.

North Coast Care Finders Program

Strategic Priority Area: No one is left behind

The Care Finders program is a free region-wide service to support vulnerable older people who have no-one else to help them, to learn about, apply for and set up support services.

Care finders can help people understand what aged care services are available, set up an assessment, and find and choose services. They also help people with access to other supports in the community, both accessing services for the first time and changing or finding new services and supports.

On the North Coast, Healthy North Coast has commissioned four organisations to provide this important service: EACH, Carexcell, Lifetime Connect and Footprints.

icon with person and hands

Psychological services in residential aged care homes

Strategic Priority Area: Improving Lives Now

Healthy North Coast commissions two service providers to deliver psychological therapies and supports for older people with, or at risk of developing, a mental illness and who are living in residential aged care homes (RACHs).

The aim of the program is to both provide direct support to residents and their families and carers, as well as upskill the RACH workforce to respond to the needs of residents presenting with mental health concerns.

Healthy Towns. Healthy Communities.

Strategic Priority Area: Securing a Healthier Future

Connection and a sense of belonging are protective factors for both individual and community health and wellbeing. Evidence highlights that the social determinants of health play a critical role in addressing many of our regions health challenges.

That’s why Healthy North Coast has long been committed to supporting communities to strengthen and to build social health. Our initiatives, including contemporary ‘Social Prescribing’, help people to connect to activities, supports and each other, and assist communities to integrate services and bridge gaps.

icon with person and hands

Telehealth in Residential Aged Care

Strategic Priority Area: Improving Lives Now

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety identified several critical areas affecting aged care residents and our health system. Key challenges include:

  • Limited access to general practitioners (GPs) and allied health professionals in aged care facilities.
  • Difficulties accessing out-of-hours services

Telehealth offers valuable opportunities to enhance support for residents living in aged care homes. Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, this initiative provides telehealth equipment and staff training as part of the response to the Royal Commission’s findings.

By improving access to primary care clinicians, specialist services, and other service providers through telehealth, we can significantly enhance health outcomes for residents, reducing unnecessary hospital transfers and emergency department visits.

The selection of telehealth equipment was guided by our Healthy Ageing Strategy (HAS), a comprehensive digital discovery questionnaire, and consultation workshops with various stakeholders. These efforts included interviews with residents to understand their attitudes toward telehealth, ensuring the initiative meets their needs and preferences.

icon with person and hands

Greater Choice at Home Palliative Care Program

Strategic Priority Area: Improving Lives Now

Aims to provide people who have life limiting conditions the opportunity to exercise choice and receive high quality care at home, harnessing improved and better coordinated supports and services that meet their individual needs.

Program objectives:

  • Improve access to palliative care at home and support end-of-life care systems and services (in primary health care and community care)
  • To enable the right care at the right time and in the right place (to reduce unnecessary hospitalisation)
  • Generate and use data to support continuous improvement of services across sectors
  • Use available technologies to support flexible and responsive palliative care at home, including in the after-hours.

These objectives will contribute to achieving the following intended overarching outcomes of:

  • Improved capacity and responsiveness of services to meet local needs and priorities
  • Improved patient access to quality palliative care services in the home
  • Improved coordination of care for patients across health care providers and integration of palliative care services in their region.

Education & training funding elibility

Funding is open to all primary care providers within disaster affected communities across the Healthy North Coast footprint.

Workforce Locum support and R&R funding criteria

  • Available to primary care services in disaster impacted communities within the Healthy North Coast footprint.
  • Available to support short-term workforce coverage, allowing clinicians to rest and recover.
  • Workforce-support funding in total is capped for each site, over a 12-month period:
    • $10k for GPs and/or
    • $5K for nursing and/or
    • $5k administration support and/or
    • $5K allied/pharmacy and other.
  • Funding is not to be used to fill gaps in staffing that have not been able to recruit to and not to replace existing staff.
  • Healthy North Coast will assess requirements and approve available funding directly with the service requesting support.
  • Priority will be given to sites that have immediate, short-term workforce support needs.
  • Requests will be reviewed and supported on a case-by-case basis.
  • Program funding administered via RCTI Agreement (Recipient Created Tax Invoice) to be paid monthly, or on completion of the placement (whichever comes first).
  • Practices will be required to complete a request for payment form monthly, or on completion of the placement (whichever occurs first).

Wellbeing Flexible Funding Criteria & Eligibility

  • Open to all primary care providers within disaster affected communities across the Healthy North Coast footprint.
  • Activity must be purposeful, with the aim of increasing the wellbeing of your team.
  • Requests will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, with funding allocated based on team size.*
  • Following approval by Healthy North Coast, funding will be administered via RCTI Agreement (Recipient Created Tax Invoice) upon providing proof of expenses.
  • Funding cannot be used for the purchase of alcohol, or any other goods or services where the vendor cannot quote their Australian Business Number.
  • Planned activities must occur prior to 30th June 2024.
  • Funding will not be available for retrospective activities.
*Team Size
(Total staff and contractors)
Funding Available
Small (1-5)$500-$1500
Medium (6-20)$1500-$4000
Large (>20)$4000-$5000

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