Leading up to International Women’s Day on Saturday 8 March, The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) is calling on all political parties to outline their policies to address the worsening crisis in rural maternity care, as closures and service downgrades put women, babies, and families at risk. 

The latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that nearly 80,000 women give birth outside Australia’s cities each year. 

ACRRM President Dr Rod Martin says that with so many women and babies reliant on high-quality healthcare close to home, it is critical maternity care is prioritised in political discussions. 

“We welcome both major parties’ support for women’s health in their election promises, but we are yet to see a clear commitment to improving rural maternity services,” Dr Martin says. 

“In recent months, there has been increasing media coverage of maternity service closures and downgrades across the country including in Tasmania, Far North Queensland, and New South Wales. “These losses diminish access to affordable care for rural women and their families and significantly lower maternal safety.  

"We should not have the death of a mother or a baby to signal the need for true change backed by genuine investment." 

ACRRM has outlined practical solutions to improve maternity services in its 2025-2026 Pre-Budget Submission, calling for: 

  • A commitment to stopping rural maternity service closures. 

  • Targeted funding to attract and retain the rural maternity workforce, including Rural Generalists (RGs) skilled in obstetrics and anaesthetics. 

  • An intergovernmental taskforce to secure funding and ensure the continuity of rural maternity and women’s health services at risk of closure. 

Dr Martin says that properly funded, rural-focused models that integrate RGs with advanced obstetric and anaesthetic training, working alongside midwives and other health professionals, can provide high-quality care locally, reducing the financial and emotional burden on rural families. 

“RGs are essential in antenatal and postnatal care, planned deliveries, and emergency obstetric cases. 

“We must also ensure the appropriate infrastructure is in place to support this vital service,” Dr Martin adds. 

A recent success story is the integrated women’s health service established in May last year for the Queensland communities of Weipa, Mapoon, Napranum, and Aurukun. 

“By incorporating RGs with obstetric and anaesthetic training, the service has enabled more mothers to give birth closer to home, improving outcomes and reducing the disruption of leaving their communities for care,” Dr Martin says. 

“This model puts the health of women, babies, and families in rural and remote communities at the forefront. “It is driven by Rural Generalists who are skilled at providing high-quality continuous care as well as specialist care when and where it is most needed.” 

Read the full ACRRM Pre-Budget Submission here.