NSW to invest $21.3 million in Australian-first Aboriginal birthing centre

In next week's budget, the government will make a $21.3 million investment in Waminda's Gudjaga Gunyahlamai Birth Centre and Community Hub.

Once built, the centre - planned for South Nowra - will deliver holistic maternity care for Aboriginal women and their families, including antenatal, birthing and postnatal support from midwives.

In 2022, $22.5 million was secured in the federal budget to help with construction costs for the project.

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the state was proud to work with the centre to deliver its Birthing on Country initiative.

"Funding this important service will help meet the social, cultural, spiritual and clinical needs of the local community," Mr Park said.

"Our investment in the Gudjaga Gunyahlamai Birth Centre and Community Hub aligns with NSW Health commitment to improving maternity care and giving children in NSW the best possible start in life."

The state's funding announcement comes less than a fortnight after the release of the landmark NSW Birth Trauma Inquiry released its final report, which explicitly recommended expanding access to Birthing on Country programs.

The inquiry heard that there were significant disparities faced by First Nations people in maternity care, including higher rates of premature birth, birth trauma, maternal deaths, and perinatal deaths.

Its final report also stated that 37 per cent of First Nations women experienced birth trauma, with experts telling the committee that these disparities were due to fragmented healthcare in regional and remote communities, intergenerational trauma, and a lack of culturally appropriate models of maternity care.

The inquiry was also told many First Nations women find birthing in hospitals 'traumatic and frightening'.

NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Minister David Harris said the $21.3 million investment reflected the NSW Government's commitment to Closing the Gap.

"Aboriginal women and babies continue to experience health inequalities compared to their non-Aboriginal counterparts," he said.

"Aboriginal babies are more likely to be born with lower birthweights, to be born prematurely and are twice as likely to die in their first year of life."

"Birthing on Country gives opportunity for the best start in life for Aboriginal babies and their families, a natural transition to motherhood and parenting for women and an integrated, holistic and culturally appropriate model of care."

The government said Birthing on Country models have been shown to improve maternal and perinatal outcomes, including women attending more antenatal visits, being less likely to have a premature birth and being more likely to exclusively breastfeed on discharge from hospital.

South Coast MP Liza Butler said she was proud to see the establishment of the Australian-first centre in Nowra.

"[This] marks a significant step towards ensuring culturally safe, holistic maternity care for Aboriginal women and their families in the South Coast region," she said.

The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District has worked closely with the centre, and has already signed an agreement allowing private Aboriginal midwives endorsed by Waminda to to have "visiting rights" to Shoalhaven Hospital to birth babies.

The government said Waminda's centre would complement the district's public Binji & Boori Aboriginal Maternal Infant Child Health Service.