Your signature has made a difference. We invite you to continue the conversation. Join us at our next Community Maternity Forum:
- Our Birth, Our Voice Pt2 - Open Community Forum
- 12pm, Saturday 1st November 2025
- Darlings Pasta Bar, 66 Smith Street, Darwin City
Every woman, family member, healthcare worker who shows up makes our voices louder. Every story adds weight. Every seat filled shows that it matters - because it does.
Maternity Services in the NT won't change unless we keep showing up, together.
Update: Since the launch of this petition, many brave, exceptional NT women have spoken out about their experiences of maternity care in the NT. The good, the bad and the tragic. Their births and their voices have been pivotal to ensuring that the urgent conversations around declining maternity choice, insufficient funding, resourcing and facilities have stayed in the public domain.
Those with the power to make a difference have started to listen.
On 4th October 2025 we held, "Our Birth, Our Voice" a women-led community discussion on NT maternity care. Held in Darwin, it gave women, families and healthcare workers the opportunity to have an honest conversation about where services are now and the future we want for the NT.
Key asks from the forum are below and are in line with the 2019 women-centered care: Strategic directions for Australian Maternity Services:
- ENSURE BIRTH CHOICE - Provide access to a full range of maternity options: hospital, Midwifery Group Practice, homebirth, and private pathways within the public system.
- EXPAND CONTINUITY OF CARE MODELS - Proven to deliver better outcomes for mothers and babies
- BUILD & SUPPORT THE WORKFORCE - Attract and retain midwives, obstetricians, and support staff (including labour ward, MGP, homebirth and birth center) through targeted incentives
- ESTABLISH A MATERNITY COMMUNITY CONSULTATION GROUP - Women, families, clinicians, and community voices must guide maternity care
- UPGRADE AND MODERNISE MATERNITY INFRUSTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT BIRTH, FAMILY AND BEREAVEMENT CARE - Ensure maternity facilities reflect current demand, best practice, and cultural safety through both immediate upgrades and long-term planning
On October 16, Maternity Services in the Northern Territory was raised as a Matter of Public Importance in Parliament by Member for Daly and Deputy Opposition Leader Dheran Young. Valuable perspectives were shared, and many politicians will attend the Our Birth, Our Voice Pt2 community forum this Saturday 1st November to hear from more members of the community. We hope to see you there.
You can stay in the loop by following Birth Stories NT (@birthstories.nt)
Thank you again for your support.