Who we are

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network
Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

Western NSW Primary Health Network connects our communities through leadership in primary care

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

Western NSW Primary Health Network (WNSW PHN) is one of 31 Primary Health Networks across Australia. As a not-for-profit organisation funded primarily by the Australian Government, we cover both the Western and Far West NSW Local Health District regions, working to strengthen and coordinate primary healthcare where it’s needed most.

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

Our mission is to enhance the efficiency and quality of primary healthcare services, ensuring that all individuals, particularly those at risk of poor health, receive the care they need.

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network
Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

Our approach

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

Our work involves fostering strong partnerships with general practices, health services, Local Health Districts, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, hospitals, and community groups. Together, we work to align services with the specific health needs of our region.

We do this by placing people at the centre of care and building strong partnerships with healthcare providers, local communities and other stakeholders to create connection and an effective healthcare system. 

As a not-for-profit organisation, Western Health Alliance Limited, trading as Western NSW Primary Health Network is primarily funded by the Australian Government. Our operational area encompasses the Western NSW and Far West Local Health Districts.

Learn more about Primary Health Networks on the Department of Health, Disability & Ageing website.

Learn more about our region
Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

Our vision

Lead, support and strengthen person-centred primary health care for Western and Far West NSW

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

Our values and priorities

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

Our values define who we are and our approach to the services we support:

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network
Integrity
Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network
Collaboration
Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network
Professionalism
Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network
Respect
Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network
Innovation

Our priority areas are determined based on the needs of our communities. They include:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
  • Mental Health
  • Alcohol and other Drugs
  • Older People
  • Population Health
  • Health Workforce
  • Digital Health
  • 10 Year Primary Care Plan
  • Regional Health and Medicare Task force
  • Aged Care Review
  • Sustainable Primary Care
  • Collaborative Commissioning – Diabetes
  • First 2000 Days
  • Chronic Disease

The WNSW PHN’s Strategic Plan is the foundation for our vision, purpose, values and goals.

View our Strategic Plan

Western Health Alliance Limited membership

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

Collaboration is core to how we work. Forming strong partnerships allows us to better focus on our role of leading, supporting and strengthening primary healthcare in our region.

Membership is one mechanism through which WNSW PHN increases, strengthens and diversifies our partnerships. The following organisations are members of WHAL, the company trading as WNSW PHN:

View the Western Health Alliance Limited Constitution

These relationships help us stay grounded in the region we serve while delivering on our mission as a Primary Health Network in Western NSW.

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

Our strength lies in the partnerships we build across regional, remote and Aboriginal communities.

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

Reflecting culture through Aboriginal design

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

At WNSW PHN, improving Aboriginal health across Western and Far West NSW is a key priority. We are committed to fostering cultural competence and ensuring that our work reflects the diverse needs of our communities. 

We acknowledge the importance of visual storytelling and cultural identity. We incorporate Aboriginal artwork and design into our branding as a vital part of our commitment to, celebration of and respect for the traditions and heritage of Aboriginal peoples. The artwork honours the heritage of the 11.4% of our population who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

These designs appear across our materials as a visible symbol of our commitment to cultural inclusivity, connection to Country, and health equity.

Lewis Burns’ Motif
Nathan Peckham’s RAP Artwork

Lewis Burns’ Motif

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

Wiradjuri artist Lewis Burns created an Aboriginal motif for WNSW PHN in 2016.

It’s a story of living off the land. A strong flowing river provides fresh, clean water for those living beside it in camps. At campfires, people cook from the earth, with abundant natural foods they’ve hunted and gathered. As a community, people respect the earth and their country, united in a healthy lifestyle.

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network
Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

Nathan Peckham’s RAP Artwork

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

Commissioned in 2021 as part of our Reconciliation Action Plan, Maradhal-Yandhul-Giriya (Wiradjuri: Past-Present-Future) by Tubba-gah Wiradjuri artist Nathan Peckham represents the journey of reconciliation and connection.

As a proud Tubba-gah Wiradjuri man, I respectfully acknowledge all nations which Western NSW Primary Health Network operates on. I acknowledge this artwork will be viewed off my home country of the Tubba-gah people of the Wiradjuri Nation and therefore ask you accept this artwork on behalf of my family which I wish to share with you.

I would also like to pay respect to the traditional custodians of the country whose ancestral lands we all share. I thank the Elders for their wisdom, courage, and sacrifice and pledge my commitment to preserving their legacy for future generations.

The artwork depicts a gathering of people in camp (dhandha) along a river (bila or ghi). The camp shelter was made from gathering leaves which were thrown over a temporary frame made of branches. They are on a journey (birrang) to find a new home. They have travelled a long way, crossing many different tribal lands. They hope to find a place that is better resourced to ensure the survival of the tribe. The centre dreaming trails (yarrudhang murruway) represent where they came from, where they are, and where they want to be.

Metaphorical interpretation: This piece represents the journey the WNSW PHN is undertaking with its Reconciliation Action Plan. The aim of the journey is to reach a place where the WNSW PHN and its partners have successfully contributed to a unified understanding and commitment to reconciliation across the nation. It speaks to the continuing evolution of the organisation in this space through recognising the past, understanding the present, and celebrating the future.

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network
Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network

Read our key publications

Western NSW Primary Health Network, Western NSW Primary Health Network
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Strategic Plan

View our long-term vision, goals and priorities for improving healthcare in Western and Far West NSW.

View the plan
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Annual Report

A comprehensive overview of our achievements, key initiatives and financial performance.

Download the report
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Reconciliation Action Plan

Our RAP demonstrates our commitment to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Read our RAP
More publications