Budget funds first Indigenous birth centre

Labor's Linda Burney says the funding commitment shows the government backs Aboriginal governance. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Australia's first dedicated Indigenous birth centre will be built on the NSW South Coast after $22.5 million was secured for the landmark project in the federal budget.

Maternal deaths of Indigenous women are 4.6 times higher, perinatal deaths 1.7 times higher and preterm births 1.6 times higher, compared with non-Indigenous women.