Waminda's Melanie Briggs a finalist in the HESTA Australian Nursing and Midwifery Awards

The descendant of the Dharawal and Gumbaynggirr people and senior Aboriginal midwife at Waminda is up for a Midwife of the Year Award.

Melanie was announced as a finalist for the award on Tuesday, which is a part of HESTA's Australian Nursing and Midwifery Awards.

It recognises midwives for their outstanding work to provide exceptional care and leading the way for improved health outcomes.

In 2020, Melanie Briggs was the first Aboriginal woman in NSW to be a fully endorsed midwife.

Read more:

Since then, she has dedicated herself to creating a safe space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to receive culturally appropriate pregnancy and maternity care.

Melanie's work as Director and Founder of Binjilaani, the first Aboriginal-led maternity model of care in Australia has improved health outcomes for First Nations women and babies.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women across the South Coast access the Birthing on Country model of care, which provides wrap-around maternity support in the community and in hospital with intrapartum birth care, followed by postnatal care for up to six weeks.

It returns maternity services to Indigenous communities that are accessible, relationship-based and incorporates traditional birthing practices.

For the past five years, Melanie has pushed for funding for a fully integrated Birthing on Country model of care that would see a new building and more Aboriginal midwives at the Nowra centre. She plans to use the prize money to conduct research that will further develop the model of care.

Winners of the HESTA awards will be announced on May 19 at a ceremony in Melbourne.

We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.