Key documents - Murray PHN

Health Needs Assessment

Every three years, Murray PHN conducts a major Health Needs Assessment with expert analysis, supported by community consultation. Together with supplementary Health Needs Assessments and other key reports, helps us to identify and analyse health and service needs in our region and prioritise activity to address those needs.

Short summary
- Murray PHN Needs Assessment Executive Summary 2025-26 to 2027-28
Full report

To view the full 77-page Needs Assessment, last updated in November 2025, click here to complete the download form. Knowing which organisations are accessing the report and how they’re using it, helps us to improve future reports and publications.

Population Health Series Reports

Murray PHN has developed a series of Population Health Series reports, which are in-depth health and service needs analysis that inform our Health Needs Assessment, and collaborative work with stakeholders and communities.
- Palliative Care Population Health Series Report
- Multicultural Populations Population Health Series Report
  Sub-region reports: Central Victoria, Goulburn Valley, North East Victoria, North West Victoria
- Homelessness Population Health Series Report
  Sub-region reports: Central Victoria, Goulburn Valley, North East Victoria, North West Victoria
- First Nations Health & Healing Population Health Series Report
  Sub-region reports: Central Victoria, Goulburn Valley, North East Victoria, North West Victoria
Murray PHN is pleased to release its tenth annual Report to the Community. The 2025 report details many of the local primary health programs we have funded and supported and includes some words from our staff and dedicated health and community professionals that we work with every day.
- - 2025 Report to the Community
The Murray Health Report is published each year, to provide information to our communities on the health priorities that matter most to them. The latest edition focuses on people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, their health and access to health services.
- Murray Health Report: Housing Instability and Health
Murray PHN’s latest Strategic Plan, puts a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention, managing complex care in the community and targeting sustainable rural health care. It was developed with input from community members, health practitioners, advisory councils and regional health services.
- 2023-2025 Strategic Plan update
- 2023-2025 Strategic Plan Summary update
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing issues funding schedules to Murray PHN and each schedule outlines the aim of funding, specific obligations to be delivered and reporting accountabilities. While funding schedules apply over multiple years, Murray PHN is required to submit annual work plans (AWP) against each schedule for each forward year, and report against progress as part of 12-month performance reports.
- FY26 Activities Summary
As we progress into our tenth year as a Primary Health Network, we have continued to grow and adapt to our changing environment, never wavering from our core purpose of using the funding we receive to benefit and improve the health outcomes of our communities.
- 2024 Finance Report
- 2025 Finance Report
PHNs have been established with the key objectives of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of medical services for people, particularly those at risk of poor health outcomes, and improving coordination of care to ensure people receive the right care in the right place at the right time.
Murray PHN’s Commissioning Framework shows how we partner with consumers, carers and communities, as well as clinical and non-clinical health professionals and government organisations, to improve health outcomes for those in greatest need.
- Commissioning Framework, Version 3, September 2023
Since PHNs began in 2015, Murray PHN has been moving towards a relational commissioning approach, which emphasises mutual strategies and priorities, along with strong engagement, trust and communication to achieve quality outcomes from programs, projects and services.
- Murray PHN Relational Commissioning
Primary Mental Health Services Guidelines
The Primary Mental Health Services Guidelines outline the scope, eligibility requirements, clinical governance obligations and workforce requirements specific to the provision of Murray PHN funded services.
- Part A Program Guidelines for all Murray PHN commissioned services
- Part B Program Specific Information – the specific requirements for each commissioned service streams:
- Part C – Data Capture and Reporting Specifications for all Murray PHN commissioned services.
Chronic Disease Management Guidelines
These guidelines for commissioned chronic disease management service providers outline the scope, eligibility, delivery and reporting requirements specific to the provision of Murray PHN funded chronic disease management services.
- 2025-2026 Program Guidelines for Chronic Disease Management Services
Cultural Humility, Cultural Responsiveness and Cultural Safety are the three main concepts we are focused on – concepts that are enhanced by four key primary healthcare principles – governance, partnerships, workforce and inclusive, or wraparound, care. As part of our work in implementing our First Nations Health and Healing Strategy, Murray PHN aims to guide and strengthen the growing capacity of our local primary health workforce, as they work in partnership with First Nations Peoples to deliver culturally informed, responsive and safe services. Through this Cultural Humility Framework, we hope you will join us in recognising that we have much to learn and do, to achieve reconciliation and improved health outcomes for First Nations Peoples.
- Cultural Humility Framework
- Cultural Humility Framework user guide
With a stated anti-racism commitment, we understand our responsibility to foster a workplace that values and respects First Nations culture and Country.

Murray PHN’s first Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) was endorsed by Reconciliation Australia in June 2025. Since then, the organisation and its employees have been actively reflecting on, and working to deepen understanding of culture, history and the contributions of First Nations peoples, as well as strengthening relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
- Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan
The PHN Cooperative has developed the Homelessness Health Framework to provide high-level guidance, for a national approach to addressing these challenges with respective PHN regions.
- PHN Homelessness Health Framework (October 2025)
In late 2024, The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing commissioned the Boston Consulting Group to conduct a review of the PHN business model and aspects of mental health. Murray PHN welcomed the opportunity the review presents to strengthen primary healthcare support around Australia and joined with other PHNs nationally and in Victoria to contribute its views to the Department.
- Review of the PHN Business Model & Mental Health Flexible Funding Stream: Murray PHN Submission (January 2025)
The national PHN Multicultural Health Framework is a key strategy and roadmap to improvement, that has designed to be flexible, rather than prescriptive, in order to guide planning and implementation at a local level, in line with local needs.
- PHN Multicultural Health Framework (February 2024)
Murray Health Reports
Reports to the Community
Needs Assessments
Activity Work Plans
Strategic Plans
Foundation documents
Frameworks
- Commissioning Framework, Version 5, January 2020