Wedlock not a roadblock after 'unfair' birth certificate rule reversed
Peta Hills and Joshua Bainbridge were friends for years before they became romantically involved so Ms Hills says things moved quickly and she fell pregnant four months into their relationship.
But when baby Rosie was born at the Royal Women's Hospital in January, Peta was shocked to find the nature of her relationship with Mr Bainbridge could not be recorded on their daughter's birth certificate.
In the box on the certificate that describes the parents' relationship, it lists "Not Any". Until now, almost all unmarried or de facto parents whose babies were registered in Victoria fell into this category.
"It came as a surprise. She's going to have to use [the birth certificate] for various things throughout her life so it does feel weird. It's uncomfortable," Ms Hills said.
Victorian birth certificates have previously only recognised the relationship between parents if it existed in a marriage or a registered relationship overseas.
But now, the regulation has been expanded to include a "domestic relationship" category that represents a wider range of relationships, including de facto and unmarried couples.
Liesel McDonald has been in relationship with her partner for almost nine years and they had their first child seven years ago. Marriage has never been important to the couple but the Croydon mother said birth certificates had been just one example of the disadvantages faced by de facto couples.
"My mother has more rights over deciding what happens to me if I’m in a coma than my partner does," she said.
"De facto couples should have the same rights and recognition as every couple.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice and Community Safety said the registry made the changes in response to feedback that the birth certificates "did not reflect community expectations" and the state government is now encouraging all couples to apply for new certificates.
To do this, couples must register a"domestic relationship" – financially dependent couples over 18 years old – by submitting identification and proof of Victorian residency in a process that takes at least 28 days.
Once the relationship is registered, couples can then request a new birth certificate. If the parents have a copy of the original birth certificate, it can be replaced free of charge. Otherwise, the cost is more than $30.
Ms McDonald logged onto the government website to start the process on Monday but said the website froze. "I wonder if that's because of the high level of interest," she said.
But for Ms Hills, health problems have caused her to move back to Tasmania and she simply does not have the energy to complete the paperwork.
"It's a bit unfair," she said.