Rural incentives for locums: checking MMM

The Modified Monash Model groups locations into seven categories. Sessional uses the MMM 2023 data published by the Australian Government, with postcode profiles synced from the addresses service. The categories describe locations; a postcode result does not establish a payment or a rate for your shift.

• MMM 1: metropolitan areas.
• MMM 2: regional centres.
• MMM 3: large rural towns.
• MMM 4: medium rural towns.
• MMM 5: small rural towns.
• MMM 6: remote communities.
• MMM 7: very remote communities.

A postcode can span several categories. The MMM postcode pages show the dominant category and the split across addresses, with source attribution. Check any town's MMM 2023 category there, then use the address lookup for the workplace itself. A town name or neighbouring postcode is not a substitute for the street address where you will work.

Some rural health workforce programs, including the Workforce Incentive Program Doctor Stream and the HELP Debt Reduction for Rural Health Practitioners, refer to the Modified Monash Model. Each program sets its own categories, MMM edition and conditions, so check the program page before you rely on a classification.

Start with the current program page and keep a copy of the guidance you used, including its publication date. If the wording is unclear, contact the program administrator with the workplace address and the dates you plan to work. Ask which MMM edition and location evidence you should use. Keep their response alongside your booking confirmation so you can revisit the same information later.

Ask the recruiter or workplace to set out the rate type, agreed amount, expected hours and payment contact before you accept the booking. Clarify whether the quoted amount is an hourly rate, a daily rate or a percentage of billings. If the arrangement includes a minimum payment, ask how that amount will be reconciled with the final billings.

Discuss travel and accommodation separately. Confirm who books transport, whether accommodation is available for the full placement, and who pays if a flight or shift changes. Ask about arrival times, local transport and the handover contact. These details make two offers easier to compare without assuming that a rural location automatically changes the rate.

When you save a workplace address, Sessional can store its postcode MMM estimate if the postcode lookup returns a category. The workplace list labels that value as a postcode estimate. If the postcode table is unavailable, confirm the location separately before using it for a decision.

Enter the agreed rate and rate type on the shift. Review the dates, hours and workplace before saving, and compare the details with your written booking confirmation. The postcode estimate provides location context; the amount you enter records your agreement. Recheck the rate when a booking is extended or the work moves to another site.

Pharmacists, nurses and allied health professionals can use the same location lookup to check where a workplace sits. Keep the location result separate from your contract terms, and ask the recruiter to explain any allowance named in an offer. Record who provided that explanation and where you can find the underlying terms.

For NDIS provider travel, the one-way caps are 30 minutes in MMM 1 to 3 and 60 minutes in MMM 4 to 5. MMM 6 to 7 has no simple travel cap and is priced by exception. See the NDIS pricing and travel guide for the published rules and their conditions before agreeing a rate or planning travel.

The free MMM rural classification lookup supports postcode and address checks. Begin with the postcode, inspect any category split, then search the exact workplace address. Keep the result and the date checked with your placement notes, particularly if you are comparing several workplaces in one region.

See also super guarantee guidance and tax planning for locum income when reviewing the broader arrangement. Keep your written rate agreement, shift records and payment correspondence together so any discrepancy is easier to resolve with the workplace.