A Turning of the Soil Ceremony has marked the commencement of work on Waminda’s $22.5 million Birthing on Country Centre of Excellence, Australia’s first purpose-built culturally safe and empowering space for Aboriginal women and their families.
Waminda team members were joined by Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips and Federal Member for Barton Linda Burney for the ceremony at the greenfield site in Hillcrest Avenue, Nowra on Tuesday February 18.
Mrs Phillips said the Gudjaga Gunyahlamai Birth Centre and Community Hub would be the country’s first Aboriginal-owned and midwifery-led free standing birth centre.
She said Birthing on Country supported Aboriginal women and babies by providing culturally safe continuity of midwifery care including antenatal, birthing and postnatal support.
“The Waminda team has been working towards the facility for almost a decade and I’m so pleased to see the development application approved and the soil turned, signalling the start of the project,” Mrs Phillips said.
“I am proud to have secured $22.5 million from the Albanese Labor Government for the construction of the dedicated centre, and to support Waminda’s vision to improve outcomes for local indigenous women and children,” she said.
“As a mum of four, I understand that holistic health care and support is critical from pregnancy right through to the early days of welcoming a new, tiny person into your family.
“Waminda is a dynamic organisation deeply embedded in our community and they are dedicated to ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and families get the best possible maternity care for generations to come.”
The facility is expected to be completed, open and ready to welcome its first baby in mid-2026.
Special guest Ms Burney said “It was special to join Waminda to break ground on the Birthing on Country Centre of Excellence, a commitment the Albanese Labor Government made at the last election”.
“If we’re going to close the gap in maternal and childhood health for Indigenous Australians, culturally safe services led by First Nations people are essential,” she said.
“When we listen to voices on the ground about what works, we make better policies for our communities.”
Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy saidthe Albanese Government’s commitment to Birthing on Country was a “cornerstone in our efforts to Close the Gap in maternal health care”.
“Birthing on Country leads to significantly better health outcomes for First Nations mothers and babies, and is critical to maintaining the gains in improving the proportion of First Nations babies born healthy and strong,” Minister McCarthy said.
“Today’s ceremony also marks another important step for Waminda in achieving its vision for First Nations women and their families to be leading and living self-determined futures”
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.
Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) has worked closely with the South Coast Women’s Health and Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation (Waminda) to support the implementation of its Birthing on Country initiative.
Waminda launched the Minga Gudjaga Midwifery Practice with the support of ISLHD in May 2024. This is the first phase of Waminda’s Birthing on Country initiative where Waminda’s privately practising endorsed midwives provide labour and birth care to women at Shoalhaven Memorial District Hospital.
The State Minns Labor Government has committed $45.5 million over seven years for the hub which will support culturally safe holistic maternity care for Aboriginal women and their families in the South Coast region.
