Families accessing Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services through Central Highlands Rural Health (CHRH) can be reassured that there will be no changes to the care, support or locations they currently use, following Hepburn Shire Council’s decision to withdraw from its contract management role.
Hepburn Shire Council (Council) formally resolved to withdraw from being a contract manager in the delivery of maternal and child health services at its Ordinary Council Meeting on 23 June 2026.
Currently Council provides a contract management and oversight function. Council does not employ nurses, and no Council resources are used to deliver the service. MCH nurses are employed by Central Highlands Rural Health, who operate from their own sites, and families attend CHRH premises for appointments.
Phil Caterson, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Central Highlands Rural Health, said "Our priority is ensuring local families continue to receive the high-quality Maternal and Child Health services they know and trust. Our experienced Maternal and Child Health nurses will continue to provide the same trusted care from our local centres.
We thank Hepburn Shire Council for its longstanding support of Maternal and Child Health services and look forward to working closely with the Department of Health to ensure local children and families continue to receive the best possible start in life. In the meantime, it is business as usual, and families can continue to access maternal and child health services as they do today."
Bradley Thomas, Hepburn Shire Council Chief Executive Officer, said that the decision by Councillors came after careful consideration and taking into account that Council has not delivered this service for over ten years.
“Similar changes have been made by other rural and regional councils in recent time. As we move through the process to exit the contract, there will be minimal impact on the community, as it’s anticipated that services will continue to operate as normal,” said Mr Thomas.
