WA Nationals vow to restore Carnarvon maternity service within 100 days if they win the State election

The WA Nationals have vowed to restore maternity services to the Carnarvon Hospital after three years, and do so within their first 100 days should they form government in 2025. The party also warned the WA Country Health Service board must resign should the outcome not be achieved. Nationals leader Shane Love said families in the Gascoyne had been abandoned by the Labor Government after it shut down maternity services in February 2022. “For more than 1000 days, it has been impossible to have a baby in Carnarvon. This is the largest community in the Gascoyne and WA Labor has completely abandoned it,” he said. “WA Labor promised this would be a temporary closure, yet almost three years later, mothers are still forced to travel hundreds of kilometres to Geraldton or Perth just to give birth. “The Cook Labor Government and WACHS have utterly failed to make the restoration of maternity services a priority.” According to the Nationals, more than 200 families had been affected as a result of the maternity services shutting down, with some diverted to Busselton in order to access the service. Shadow regional health minister Martin Aldridge said there were a number of costs the community has paid due to the closure. “WA Labor’s failure to restore Carnarvon maternity services has cost taxpayers nearly $1 million in travel and accommodation subsidies alone,” he said. “But the biggest cost is to families. Mothers forced to leave their homes, support networks, and communities during one of the most important times in their lives.” Mr Love said high-quality health care in the regions was the responsibility of WACHS, which had failed in Carnarvon under Labor’s watch. “When I toured Carnarvon Hospital in April 2024, WACHS staff assured me maternity services would be restored imminently. Yet nearly 10 months later, nothing has changed. This is a failure of leadership. “Reopening maternity services is entirely achievable in the short term. The only thing missing is the political will to make it happen. WA deserves a Country Health Service that actually cares about country people.” North West Central MLA Merome Beard last year committed to reintroducing the service to Carnarvon, as part of the Liberal Party’s $400 million Regional Health Development Initiative should it win the State election. Meanwhile, the State Government reaffirmed its stance on the issue, with a State Government spokesperson saying it was not a permanent hiatus. “We are absolutely committed to re-establishing birthing services in Carnarvon as soon as possible and have no plans to remove the service permanently. Post-natal and prenatal care continues to be available locally,” she said. The spokesperson said a range of incentives were on offer to attract healthcare workers to Carnarvon, including competitive salaries and relocation packages, as well as subsidised accommodation options.