Coolamon Shire Council is sponsoring 10 overseas staff from the Philippines, training them to be nurses and building homes for them to live in because it has been unable to recruit staff locally.

Allawah Lodge, the aged care facility in Coolamon, is operated by Coolamon Shire Council, and can only operate 22 of its 33 beds due to staff shortages.

Coolamon is more than 500km southwest of Sydney.

Now the operators of five aged care homes in southern NSW have banded together with Coolamon Shire Council to recruit 30 aged care staff from the Philippines, the ABC has reported.

Coolamon Shire Council will spend $136,000 to secure 10 staff, and $500,000 to build housing for them to live in.

The SOURCE: At a cost of more than $600,000 for 10 staff in one year, how many aged care providers could afford this level of expenditure?