Australia PM matches donations for rural pediatric charity

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to match donations raised by 12-year-old Dusty Langby, helping the children's charity Little Wings surpass the $1 million mark. Langby completed a 540km walk from Warren, New South Wales, to Canberra to raise funds for pediatric medical services in rural areas.

With over $530,000 already raised through the campaign, the federal government's decision to match the funds will provide significant support for the charity. Little Wings provides medical flights for sick children to access specialists in Sydney and operates the Medical Wings program, which sends doctors into remote towns to run clinics. The funds are expected to finance over 700 missions over the next 12 to 18 months.

In addition to the matching funds, the federal government announced a two-year extension of its funding partnership with Little Wings. The charity, which is 90 per cent volunteer-led, aims to reduce long waitlists for pediatric specialists in regional towns, which can currently reach up to six years.