ACT Greens promise birth centre if a part of new government

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The ACT Greens have committed to establish a free-standing birth centre if they're part of the next government after the election. The party has the college of midwives on board but still needs to convince the major parties.

Transcript

00:00They're the questions facing all expectant parents, how and where to bring their baby

00:09into the world.

00:10After a push in the Legislative Assembly, the ACT Greens have committed to a free-standing

00:16birth centre in the party's election offerings.

00:19The point is to give women and birthing people a home-like environment and continuity of

00:25care from their midwives.

00:27There are already birth centres at the city's two public hospitals, but midwives say a facility

00:33on a hospital campus doesn't always offer the full suite of benefits.

00:38The further away from the hospital the birth centre is, the more likely the woman planning

00:43to have her baby there is to have a normal vaginal birth.

00:47Advocates hope it could boost the territory's midwifery workforce.

00:5190% of our new graduate midwives here in Canberra want to work in a continuity of care model.

00:57Labor says it's committed to a birth centre as part of the new Northside Hospital, with

01:02a feasibility study to inform the exact details due by the end of the year.

01:08The Liberals also opting for the hospital model instead of the Greens' proposal.

01:13We'll just see what that plan looks like, but there's no commitment from us today on

01:16that.

01:17It's something they've been pushing for a while.

01:20With an eye for what comes after birth, the Opposition has announced plans to boost funding

01:25for injury prevention charity KidSafe ACT.

01:29More than $400,000 over four years.

01:33We can go out and do the things that will actually keep kids safe.

01:36We can expand education programs.

01:38We can reach communities that would otherwise be hard to reach.

01:41We in our package that we announced with Roundabout Canberra have put in place some additional

01:46financial support.

01:47Roundabout Canberra have a direct relationship with KidSafe.

01:50A campaign which has all sides focused on the future.

01:55For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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