The people of Taree and District are the latest to benefit from Federal Government's ongoing investment in regional Australia with the official opening of the $6 million Manning Education Centre, a multi-purpose medical education facility in Taree today.

The Centre for medical, nursing and allied health students was opened by the Minister for Regional Australia Simon Crean representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon. He was accompanied at the ceremony by the Member for Lyne, Robert Oakeshott.

"I am pleased to officially open the Manning Education Centre. This is a great example of the Federal Government's ongoing commitment to funding Regional Australia and supporting the economic and social diversity of the regions," Mr Crean said.

"The Federal Government provided $6.05 million for the Centre so that Taree and District could benefit from an increased presence of health professionals and academics living and working alongside them.

"For too long, areas outside the big cities missed out - not enough doctors, not enough nurses, not enough services. Facilities such as the Centre here in Taree, are an important first step in redressing the balance through health reform," Mr Crean said.

"The Manning Education Centre allows for an expansion in the number of clinical training places available to medical students in Taree through the University of Newcastle and the University of New England," Ms Roxon said.

"This is another example of how national health reform is delivering more doctors and nurses, helping Australians to see and contact a health professional closer to home.

"It is expected 50 full time equivalent (FTE) students from the University Departments of Rural Health program will utilise the facility and 30 (FTE) students through the Rural Clinical School program by 2012," Ms Roxon said.

Mr Crean said medical students who train in the regions as part of their degree were more likely to stay in the regions once they graduate.

"So giving medical students the opportunity to train and study in Taree in these first-class facilities will lead to better health and medical services for families in this coastal region," Mr Crean said.

This opening follows Mr Crean's announcement last week of the $1 billion Regional Development Australia Fund (RADF) which will start allocating money in July.

The $10 billion regional package developed by the Gillard Government also includes up to $1.8 billion in expenditure from the Health and Hospitals priority regional round, up to $500 million from the Education Investment Fund and a $6 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund.