General Practice Rural Incentives Program (GPRIP)

The General Practice Rural Incentives Program (GPRIP) commences on 1 July 2010. GPRIP was funded in the 2009-10 Budget as part of the Rural Health Workforce Strategy.

The program aims to encourage medical practitioners to practice in rural and remote communities and to promote careers in rural medicine. It combines two previously separate retention incentive programs available to General Practitioners (GPs) and Registrars, and provides a new relocation grant. GPRIP comprises:

• GP Component (previously known as the Rural Retention Program-RRP) - Fact Sheet Frequently Asked Questions Guidelines GPRIP Bank Details Form
• Registrar Component (previously known as the Registrars Rural Incentive Payment Scheme-RRIPS) - Fact Sheet Frequently Asked Questions Guidelines
• Rural Relocation Incentive Grant (RRIG) - Fact Sheet Frequently Asked Questions Guidelines Application Form (PDF 98 KB)

• On 31 May 2010, the Department received advice from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) that payments under GPRIP are not subject to Pay As You Go (PAYG) withholding. Hence, tax will not be withheld from GPRIP incentive payments to medical practitioners. Recipients will, of course, need to declare such payments for tax purposes, and are advised to seek advice from their financial adviser, accountant or the ATO regarding their own tax arrangements.
• Payments for the June Quarter 2010 are assessed and paid under the Rural Retention Program (RRP), even though the payment may be received by the medical practitioner after 1 July 2010. Grandparenting arrangements for RRP participants apply from 1 July 2010, and payments under these arrangements commence from the September Quarter 2010.