Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas

The Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas system (RRMA) is a classification system describing the areas of medical practice within Australia. The system divides the rural, remote and metropolitan areas according to city status, population, rurality and remoteness.

Rural Pathway applicants must undertake the majority of their training in RRMA 4 to 7 locations which are the smaller rural and remote areas of medical practice. The locations are described as:

Metropolitan Areas

RRMA 1
Capital cities and large metropolitan areas.

RRMA 2
Other metropolitan centre with urban populations >100,000

Rural Zone

RRMA 3
Large rural centres
Urban centre population 25,000 --- 99,000
e.g. Shepparton VIC; Lismore NSW; Bundaberg QLD; Launceston Tas;
Whyalla SA

RRMA 4
Small rural centre
Urban centre population 10,000 --- 24,999
e.g. Armidale NSW; Albany WA; Maryborough QLD; Devonport TAS; Mount Gambier SA; Mildura VIC

RRMA 5
Other rural centre
Urban centre population < 10,000
e.g. Swan Hill VIC; Batemans Bay NSW; Ayr Qld; St Helens TAS; Busselton WA; Port Vincent SA

Remote zone

RRMA 6
Remote centre
Urban centre population > 5,000
e.g. Mt Isa Qld; Alice Springs NT; Kalgoorlie WA

RRMA 7
Other remote centre
Urban centre population < 5,000
e.g. Kununurra WA; St George Qld; Carrieton SA; Strahan TAS; Katherine NT; Murrayville VIC