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The framework offers four challenges for the next three years: The provision of accessible and relevant maternity information; the provision of maternity services which offer a choice of carer, type of care, and birth setting; appropriate maternity services which are equitable and accessible to all women; and effectiveness and efficiency of maternity services. The Government is committed to meeting these challenges and will ensure that there is full discussion and development about the major issues, including improved access to the choice of midwife care and continuity of care; improved access for women to care provided in community settings, particularly antenatal and postnatal care; interdisciplinary maternity care teams, also related to the issues of continuity of care; visiting rights for independent practising midwives to ACT hospitals; and home birth within the public health system.

I would like to make specific reference to that final point, given the controversy that surrounds the Commonwealth-funded community midwife project in the ACT. I am committed to making home birth in the public system part of the options available to Canberra women; but achieving this will not be easy, particularly as the Federal Government has refused to give midwives provider numbers. If provider numbers were available to accredited community midwives, then home birth would be available under Medicare; but successive Federal Health Ministers have refused to do this. An important requirement for the success of home birth in the public system will be the appropriate professional collaboration between midwives and obstetricians who are required to provide medical support if a woman needs specialist care. We must also ensure that adequate infrastructure exists at Woden Valley Hospital in relation to resident medical staffing support for home birth. I have directed the Department of Health and Community Care to work to overcome these and other issues so that home birth can become an option for Canberra women within 12 months.

A working party of the Department of Health and Community Care's Maternity Service Advisory Committee has the responsibility for implementing the strategic framework. The initial task of this group will be to develop resource details and priorities for the specific strategies in consultation with key stakeholders. The strategic priorities identified will be addressed over the next three years of the plan by redirecting resources within maternity services and in health and community care generally, particularly where improved coordination and information sharing is all that is required to achieve this positive change.

Both the review and the consultations have highlighted that changes in attitudes and practices of health professionals will ensure positive health outcomes for women and their babies. Working towards improved maternity services will require a collaborative approach between health professionals, government and non-government agencies and consumers. This Government and, I am sure, every member of this Assembly are committed to providing maternity care that will achieve the best outcomes for women and their babies. The framework is an excellent starting point in this area, which I am sure we all believe is very important.

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