Last Friday, NMAA's new head office was opened by the federal Minister for
Health, who has a strong commitment to breastfeeding.  At the end of his
speech he handed over an envelope to symbolise the grant for $350,000 NMAA
has just won to promote breastfeeding.  The focus will be on low
socio-economic groups and will target the social groups surrounding the
mother (fathers especially).  This will not cover aboriginal groups as there
is a  separate grant covering them.  All in all, the government has made a
strong financial statement about the importance of breastfeeding.  As was
said on Friday, now the hard work has to begin!

I am off to Sydney tomorrow for our international conference.  I look
forward to meeting up with lactnetters from Australia, but also from
overseas.  It promises to be an exciting time.

Philippa Thomson
NMAA Counsellor, IBCLC, Acting Director Lactation Resource Centre