Eighty-three new Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander outreach worker positions have been created throughout Australia.

Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery, Warren Snowdon said it was part of the government’s $805.5 million Indigenous Chronic Disease Package.

It is designed to close the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Barwon Division of General Practice CEO Fiona Strang said they were looking forward to having John Binge onboard.

“We are very excited, John is going to be our first Aboriginal Health worker,” she said.

They recently employed seven new workers in Aboriginal health; the other six will be based in Gunnedah.

“John will be well supported by that team and by us,” she said.

“We are hoping he will be a great help to Aboriginal people in helping them to access general practice services.”

Mr Binge was formerly a drug and alcohol worker for four-and-a-half years.

“I wanted to broaden my reach in the health sector,” he said.

He will begin his position at Barwon Division of General Practice on March 29. In early March he will attend orientation training in Sydney.