In 2023, the Nursing and Midwifery Board Australia (NMBA) funded Midwifery Futures: The Australian Midwifery Workforce Project (the Project), in collaboration with the Burnet Institute. This project brought together midwifery leaders, policymakers, regulators, clinicians, and consumers from across Australia to review and identify opportunities to strengthen and grow the midwifery profession now and into the future. On behalf of members, the ANMF has represented the interests of its midwife members on the Expert and Working Advisory Groups, and at the National Midwifery Futures Symposium held in March 2024, advocating for the voice of all midwives, practising in all contexts of practice across Australia.

On 23 October 2024, the Project Report, which included 32 recommendations, was launched at an event in Canberra hosted by the NMBA. Many of the recommendations in the Project report are reflective of the ongoing advocacy of the ANMF for midwives in Australia. It is imperative that the midwifery profession remains a strong, equipped workforce that reflects the Australian community. We must take steps to ensure the midwifery workforce of today is remunerated appropriately to work to their full scope of practice.

The ANMF continues to advocate for immediate solutions to the workforce crisis, including safe midwifery-specific staffing ratios accounting for the workload of caring for neonates and increasingly complex acute presentations, flexible rostering, subsidised education, culturally appropriate trauma-informed care education, paid clinical supervision, utilisation of midwifery in primary care, removal of barriers to midwives practising to their full scope, and competitive remuneration, which reflects the complexity and value of midwifery work to the health system.

Future advocacy must include securing robust industrial agreements for endorsed midwives to work in public hospitals, creative flexible working arrangements, and reducing the heavy workloads midwives are now facing.

The ANMF convenes a monthly meeting with midwifery professional officers representing each state and territory. Please reach out to your local branch to have your voice heard on the midwifery issues that matter to you.

The ANMF, with over 326,000 members, is the industrial and professional voice for nurses, midwives and carers in Australia.

ANMF Statement authorised by Annie Butler, ANMF Federal Secretary. 1/365 Queen St, Melbourne.