The Albanese Government will invest $10 million to support upgrades to the Birthing, Maternity and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Darwin Hospital, ensuring Territory families can continue to access high-quality maternity care close to home.
This investment will increase the hospital’s capacity to meet growing demand while improving the experience of women, babies and families. Following Healthscope’s closure of private maternity services in 2025, an additional 250 babies are expected to be born at Royal Darwin Hospital each year.
Families in the Northern Territory will benefit from upgrades to birthing suites and maternity wards will increase capacity and co-locate maternity outpatient services at the hospital.
This funding will also provide more single rooms, so mothers do not have to share facilities, deliver more spaces for patients’ families, and provide more space for clinical staff to work and store equipment.
This investment will ensure pregnant women in the Northern Territory can continue to access the care they need close to home.
It is expected the upgrades at Royal Darwin Hospital will be completed in late 2027.
This investment follows the Albanese Government’s record hospital funding in the Northern Territory. NT hospitals will receive close to $1 billion in additional funding.
Quotes attributable to the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:
“Having a baby should be a joyful time, and families deserve high-quality care, no matter where they live.
“This investment is about making sure Territory women and their families can continue to access the care and services they need.
“It’s on top of the record funding we are providing to NT hospitals because every Australian deserves access to quality healthcare.
“It's another example of my Government investing in better health outcomes and stronger maternity services for the Northern Territory.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Mark Butler:
“This funding is about delivering practical improvements that will make a real difference for Territory women and families.
“By investing in Royal Darwin Hospital, we're delivering better facilities, greater capacity and stronger support for women at one of the most important moments in their lives.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy:
“All mothers and mothers-to-be deserve safe, affordable and accessible maternity care.
“Our $10 million investment means Territory mums, babies and families can access high quality maternity close to home.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Solomon Luke Gosling:
“I made a commitment to secure this $10 million for improved maternity facilities and services at Royal Darwin Hospital, and today I’m delivering on it.
“This investment strengthens public maternity care, but it does not replace the private maternity service Darwin lost. The NT Government now needs to work with private providers to restore that service and give Territory women genuine choice about where they give birth.”