The Yoorrook Justice Commission report
In early July, the Yoorrook Justice Commission handed down its final report, Yoorrook for Justice, marking an important milestone in Victoria’s shared journey towards truth-telling and healing. The report invites all of us – health services, clinicians, policymakers and communities – to come together to address the ongoing challenges that affect First Peoples’ women and their families.
Among its recommendations, and particularly relevant to nurses and midwives, the commission called upon the Victorian Government to direct all health services to ensure that clinical and allied health staff working with pregnant women undertake appropriate training to address bias and build expertise. Specifically, Recommendation 10 states:
‘Clinical and allied health staff working with pregnant women must undertake appropriate training to address bias and build expertise in working safely and effectively with First Peoples’ women and families to address their social and emotional needs.
‘This training must be designed and delivered by a Victorian First Peoples’ business or consultants on a paid basis, and completion rates of this training must be publicly reported.’
Aunty Nellie Flagg – a Wemba Wemba, Barapa Barapa, Dja Dja Wurrung and Boonwurrung woman, and respected cultural educator – reflected on why this kind of training is so critical when asked to provide testimony at the Yoorrook Commission.
Speaking from her extensive experience working alongside doctors and health professionals, she said:
‘Our culture is built on respect and trust, and they must understand that. For them to help us through our medical journey, they need to understand what is required and for us to feel safe in telling them our story.’
Aunty Nellie also highlighted a key gap that still exists:
‘There’s never enough cultural education being taught to people in professions such as GPs, psych and the rest.’
She went on to stress the need for safe, culturally grounded spaces where First Peoples can open up and heal:
‘We want a place where they can come and feel; where our community can come and sit down, feel safe and open up.’
Why it matters
As the union for nurses, midwives and personal care workers, the ANMF knows that when people have a genuine say in matters that affect their lives and health, better outcomes are achieved. We see this every day in our practice and in advocating for patient-centred, culturally safe care.
First Peoples’ mothers and babies continue to experience poorer health outcomes compared to non-Aboriginal Australians, including higher maternal and infant mortality rates, and higher rates of preventable chronic conditions later in life.
These consequences are not simply statistics; they reflect the impacts of institutional racism and cultural unsafety within healthcare settings. Yoorrook heard that First Peoples’ babies in Victoria are more than twice as likely to be classified as low birth weight (12.6% compared to 6%), increasing risks of poor development, illness and the possibility of health concerns later in adulthood.
Low birth weight is a key indicator of cultural wellbeing and equity, as the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) noted in their submission to the Justice Commission ‘ensuring a child has a happy and healthy start to life is inherently linked to the health and wellbeing of the mother – and commences before a child is born’.
Historical practices, such as child removals from hospitals and maternity wards, have led to a justified fear and mistrust of hospitals among many First Peoples families. The VACCHO also acknowledged the fear of being reported to child protection services continues to impact whether Aboriginal women access maternity care during pregnancy. Disconnection from cultural practices, such as the ability to bury the placenta on Country or receiving culturally informed support during birth, further compounds the trauma associated with seeking hospital-based care.
These pervasive challenges are not about blaming individuals but recognising the structures that have made health settings feel unsafe for many First Peoples, leading to avoidance of care and worsening outcomes.
By calling for mandatory First Peoples-led cultural safety training, the Yoorrook Justice Commission places culturally safe care at the centre of improving maternal and child health outcomes in Victoria, providing nurses and midwives with the tools to better support families in a way that respects and understands their cultural needs and histories.
ANMF’s longstanding commitment
The ANMF has long recognised that addressing the ongoing health inequities for First Nations Australians is a core professional and union responsibility.
Since 2007, the ANMF has held a federal position statement supporting action to advance social justice for First Peoples. In 2018, the ANMF endorsed the Uluru Statement from the Heart, including its key calls for Voice, Treaty and Truth. This commitment was reaffirmed in 2022, when 97 per cent of ANMF Vic Branch Job Reps and Health and Safety Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution to walk together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to build a better future for everyone.
Through the ANMF’s Reconciliation Action Plan, we support the aims of Treaty-making in Victoria and recognise its role in addressing systemic issues that lead to poorer health outcomes for Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
The ANMF’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Position Statement calls for equitable, culturally safe healthcare and education to close the health gap, echoing Yoorrook’s Recommendation 10 for stronger health and education systems.
What this means for nurses and midwives
Nurses and midwives are at the forefront of providing care in perinatal, maternal and child health services across Victoria. The implementation of Recommendation 10 will require:
- Participation in mandatory cultural safety training, designed and delivered by Victorian First Peoples’ organisations, ensuring relevance and accountability.
- Reflection on bias and systemic practices that may impact care delivery, enabling culturally safe and responsive care.
- Advocacy for time, resources and support to complete meaningful training, ensuring it is not a tick-box exercise but a foundation for practice improvement.
- Engagement with First Peoples’ communities to listen, learn and adapt care approaches, ensuring holistic, trauma-informed support for families.
For many nurses and midwives, this recommendation offers an opportunity to deepen practice and contribute to systemic change in maternal and infant health outcomes for First Peoples.
Moving forward together
The Yoorrook Justice Commission’s report is a reminder that addressing inequities in health outcomes requires both structural and individual action. As nurses and midwives, we have a professional obligation to provide culturally safe care and to continually build our understanding of the impacts of colonisation, racism and intergenerational trauma on the health of First Peoples.
ANMF Vic Branch will continue to support members in advocating for the implementation of Yoorrook’s recommendations and to push for systemic reforms that will enable culturally safe and effective care for First Peoples women, children and families.
Together, we can walk alongside First Peoples towards justice and better health outcomes, ensuring that the next generation is born into a system that promotes the health and rights of all.
