Donor Register to Support Queensland Families 

• A new Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill will grant new powers, allowing Queensland Health to impose conditions on ART providers.
• The new legislative framework will include a $2 million donor conception register, ensuring families have access to their donor’s genetic origins.
• This work forms part of the Miles Government’s more than $1 billion Women and Girls Health Strategy 2032.

The Miles Government is committed to ensuring Queensland women and families have confidence in assisted reproductive technologies (ART).

Earlier this year, the Minister for Health and Women Shannon Fentiman announced a more than $42 million investment to support the reproductive health and wellbeing of women and girls. 

As part of this work, an Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill is in the works and includes a licensing system for ART providers, which will provide Queensland Health with compliance and enforcement powers it doesn’t currently have.

This will allow them to inspect premises, impose conditions, suspend, or cancel an ART provider’s licence who is not complying with regulations and prohibit providers from providing ART services. 

A central donor conception register, with information on every child conceived by a donor in the past 50 years, will also be established to ensure donor conceived people have access to a full picture of their genetic origins. 

These investments form part of the more than $1 billion Women and Girls Health Strategy 2032, after almost 12,000 Queensland women and girls shared their experiences and suggestions on how the health system could be improved to meet their needs. 

The Miles Government will continue listening to Queenslanders and acting to ensure the Queensland public health system meets their health needs. 

Quotes attributable to the Premier Steven Miles:

“I’ve spoken to too many women who have been treated poorly by IVF providers, at enormous expense. It just isn’t good enough, so we’re doing something about it. 

“Our Women and Girls Health Strategy is the blueprint for making sure every Queenslander has equitable access to healthcare and this is a big step toward that. 

“It isn’t fair that there are kids out there who can’t track their genetic origins. 

“I want to thank everyone who advocated to make these changes happen. These changes will help bring us in line with other jurisdictions and provide better protections for Queenslanders.”

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services and Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman:

“Too many families have been affected by a lack of protection when accessing assisted reproductive technology and we need to ensure this does not continue to happen. 

“It is important that donor conceived people know their genetic origins, which is why we are investing $2 million to establish a central donor conception register.

“This will allow families to have a full history and clear picture of their donor.

“It will also provide counselling services to support applicants through a process that we know has significant sensitivities and emotional impacts.

“I’m looking forward to introducing the new legislation soon that will create better protections for Queenslanders. 

“This work underscores the Miles Government’s commitment to improving healthcare for women and girls and forms part of our landmark Women and Girls Health Strategy 2032.”

ENDS