The Make the Move Campaign aims to boost the number of essential workers in regional NSW by spotlighting the stories of nurses, police, teachers, firefighters and midwives who quit the city for the regions.

But workers in Sydney are not the only ones in the government’s sights.

The extensive ad campaign will also aim to encourage South Australian essential workers to consider moving to nearby regional NSW communities, such as Broken Hill.

Broken Hill is the only NSW community to use South Australia’s time zone and also uses Adelaide as its major medical base.

South Australia’s Treasurer Stephen Mulligan spoke about the new incentive on ABC Radio this morning.

“You can have incentives of $20,000 from New South Wales, but it doesn’t really compensate you for the higher house prices…our regional median house price in South Australia is about 60 per cent of what it is in New South Wales,” Mulligan said.

“There’s no escaping the fact that when you take into account higher house prices, the stamp duty that you’ve got to pay…taking your kids out of school, re-enrolling them in a different one…it is a big wrench to ask people to leave a place like South Australia.”

“I think what you’re seeing from Chris Minns and New South Wales is really a last ditch attempt to start filling some skills gaps which have grown into yawning chasms over the last three years.”

Premier Chris Minns said his government was serious about ensuring the people of regional NSW had access to quality critical services.

“A robust regional workforce is a vital part of that,” he said.

“Regional NSW has so much to offer, and this campaign aims to show essential workers the opportunities and benefits that become available when they make the switch from the city.”

-with AAP