The ACT Greens welcome progress on a northside birth centre feasibility study and stress the importance of a freestanding midwife-led option, separate to the hospital campus, to increase birthing choices for Canberrans.
Pregnancy and birth are cherished life experiences. The ACT Greens want all parents to have positive and fulfilling experiences as this improves outcomes for them and their family.
Greens MLA for Ginninderra Jo Clay, whose motion in the Assembly last year led to this feasibility study, said the current model of care focuses on or around hospitals, but our community wants a separate freestanding birth centre.
"Birth is a natural part of life. It is not an illness, but in Canberra, the vast majority of people currently have no choice but to give birth inside a hospital," Ms Clay said.
"The community has been clear. We need an option in Canberra that prioritises keeping people out of hospital, reduces unnecessary medical interventions and better supports our midwives.
"Being able to access a hospital-based birth is sometimes necessary, but we need to enable healthy people who want to give birth elsewhere to do so safely and with support by a known midwife.
"We already have birth centres that are in hospitals. The freestanding option is what's needed in Canberra to provide more choice for people giving birth.
"I'm confident the impassioned preference of midwives, parents and other experts for a freestanding birth centre will shine through in this feasibility study and deliver what will be a much-loved service for the Canberra community."
Background
- The ACT Greens included their 2020 election commitment to a standalone family birth centre as a priority in the Parliamentary and Governing Agreement for this term of the Legislative Assembly.
- On 7 February 2023, Ms Clay unanimously passed a private members motion committing the ACT Government to complete a feasibility study for a co-designed midwife-led facility, either located alongside or fully separate from the new northside hospital, by August 2024.
- Also on 7 February 2023, Ms Clay tabled a petition with over 3000 signatures calling for a freestanding birth centre in the ACT.
