Page 2958 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 14 August 2019
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breastfeed is not always a choice. You might recall that last October I shared the stories of Canberra women who could not produce enough milk for their babies, and of others who happened to produce too much. Some women were able to access the limited supply of donor breastmilk from the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children. Some parents took things into their own hands, sharing milk through word of mouth and social media. Other parents simply missed out—missed out on receiving and missed out on donating.
These women’s stories made it clear why we need a milk bank. A bank would be a physical location and organisation that collects, screens, and dispenses breastmilk which is pasteurised to limit the risk of infection. It will make it easier for women to donate and receive breastmilk in a safe environment. This reform has broad support inside and outside the Assembly. When I was preparing the motion, I was simply overwhelmed by the number of women who reached out to me, willing to share their stories and wishing that there was a physical milk bank here in Canberra.
This support is unrelenting. A number of weeks ago Canberra’s Robert Gascoigne started an online petition calling on the ACT government to establish a milk bank, reiterating the calls from last year, because, like so many others, Rob’s family knows just how precious breastmilk donations can be. Shortly before welcoming their newborn child in July, Rob’s wife, Tamsin, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. While the family has been overwhelmed by the generosity of Canberrans, having received individual donations of breastmilk from right across the ACT, a central milk bank would have made a real difference. As Rob told the media recently, he hopes this petition will emphasise the real demand for a milk bank in the ACT. I am pleased to say it already is. Within a week the petition had reached 1,300 signatures; within two, 1,700; and today it is close to 2,000—1,986, to be exact.
It is clear that the community understands the benefits of a milk bank for both recipients and donors. I am pleased to report back to the Assembly with an update from the Minister for Health that the investigation into the feasibility of a milk bank is now underway in two stages.
As part of the first stage, the Health Directorate will meet with key stakeholders to develop a greater understanding of community expectations, determine what resources exist or are needed to set up a milk bank, and canvass the practical and ethical considerations of establishing one. The second stage will see an internal working group formed to examine and analyse the results from stage 1 and make recommendations to the minister. I am pleased to say that, anecdotally, I have already heard from stakeholders that stage 1 has started. The feasibility study will also be informed by work already being done at a federal level to examine how human milk and human milk products are regulated across jurisdictions.
I was pleased to learn that the outcome of the feasibility study should be known before the end of this year. If establishing a milk bank is deemed feasible, the Health Directorate will undertake a broader public consultation. I welcome further updates from the minister and, along with parents across the ACT and carers across the ACT, look forward to the next stage of the process. I am pleased to provide this update today.
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