Feasibility of Establishing a Milk Bank in the ACT

In November 2018, the ACT Legislative Assembly moved that the ACT Government investigate the feasibility of establishing an official Milk Bank in the ACT.

The ACT Health Directorate led this investigation, resulting in the Feasibility of Establishing a Milk Bank in the ACT report.

The report ultimately concludes that the development of a local Milk Bank is not a cost-effective option for the ACT. It found the cost-benefit analysis, the science and the potential health implications of supplying pasteurised donor breast milk for healthy, full term babies, does not support a Milk Bank in the ACT.

Current arrangements will remain in place, with pasteurised donor breast milk continuing to be sourced from interstate as needed for premature and underweight babies being treated in hospital.

The ACT Health Directorate and Canberra Health Services will continue to discuss possibilities for enabling eligible women in the ACT region to donate excess breastmilk, given community interest in this opportunity.

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Page last updated on: 28 Nov 2019