Accessing midwives in regional Australia can be challenging, according to midwife, maternal and child health nurse Belinda Joyce. “For many mothers throughout Australia, particularly in rural and remote areas, local maternity services have been closed for years, forcing them to travel unimaginable long distances for maternity care,” Ms Joyce said. “We’ve all heard many stories of babies born before arrival to hospital in far north Queensland and now mothers not being able to access midwife-led care or home birth options in Tasmania.”