Australia’s doctor deserts: see how your suburb compares in access to healthcare

Australia’s city fringes are lagging behind metropolitan centres in access to services such as healthcare, new data has revealed. Photograph: davidf/Getty Images

The average distance to the nearest doctor is more than 9km in some metropolitan areas, according to new data from the Australian Urban Observatory.

Often found on city fringes, these areas also tend to have worse access to other social infrastructure, such as education, transport, community and sporting facilities, and emergency services.