The four locations were selected to pilot the state's Rural and Remote Maternity Services Planning Framework back in 2019, but the response to the pandemic has resulted in delays to the process.

While Queensland Health has confirmed Weipa's new birthing suite is expected to be completed in early 2022, it has not provided time frames for the other sites.

A Queensland Health spokesman said the first local births at Weipa are expected to occur in mid-2022, with the unit to be located adjacent to an existing ward, as well as the hospital operating theatre.

"For the birthing unit, an additional two doctors, five midwives, two health workers and an administrative officer will be recruited by the time the unit is fully operational next year," he said.

"The birthing unit will deliver more than 50 babies a year, servicing Cape communities including Weipa, Aurukun, Coen, Kowanyama, Lockhart River, Mapoon and Pormpuraaw.

"Women with higher-risk pregnancies will continue to travel to Cairns."

Rural Doctors Association of Queensland president RT Lewandowski said the government needs to give time frames around when birthing services could be expected in each location.

"Coming up with a framework is a good idea and they've done a good job," he said.

"It has been delayed by COVID-19 and some of those delays are reasonable... but it's time to start moving again and it is really time not just to move, but to commit to an end point and commit to dates.

Dr Lewandowski said a fixed time frame would mean the community would know what to expect and would also represent a real commitment to delivering the services.

"For a rural hospital, a birthing service is critical," he said.

"It's often the building block to increase the community services.

"When you have a birthing service you then have staff to support the services, you have a theatre to support caesarean sections should they happen, you often get allied health and pretty soon you have people who have the ability to perform other services.

"Because you've got an operating theatre, you have doctors who can provide anesthetic and you can have a surgeon visit and you can provide surgery in the town."

Dr Lewandowski said RDAQ has also been campaigning for the restoration of birthing services at Chinchilla.

"Chinchilla had a birthing service and if you look at the clinical services capability framework for in Queensland, it still does, according to the documents online but in fact there hasn't been a baby delivered purposely in Chinchilla for several years," he said.

"We really have a difficult time getting [the government] to commit to whether they're planning on reopening, whether they're planning on permanently closing... it's been difficult for women in that catchment.

"Somewhere between 150 and 200 women every year birth in that catchment and they're in limbo."

A Queensland Health spokeswoman said the government was committed to delivering safe and sustainable maternity services in rural and remote parts of Queensland.

"Like all health services throughout Queensland, maternity care has been impacted by COVID," she said.

"Queensland Health is continuing to work through the planning framework to ensure ongoing delivery of quality maternity care."

Weipa resident Stacey Finch flew to Brisbane last year to have her second child, Harry, who was born in late July.

Currently, expecting mothers in Weipa can access antenatal care through a local midwife but have to go away to give birth.

Mrs Finch said she and her husband moved to Weipa from Adelaide when she was 10 weeks pregnant and she was surprised to discover that she would not be able to give birth close to home.

"It was pretty unknown to me about the whole system there as I had never lived in a small town," she said.

"I think women up here are so used to it now, but not being from there, it was almost like a culture shock.

"They had a midwife in Weipa who had been there for a number of years and she was really lovely, so I utilised her quite a bit for all my antenatal appointments.

"I found in that respect being in a small town and getting to know my midwife and the continuity of care was really good."

Mrs Finch said as they don't have any family in North Queensland, going to Brisbane made the most sense for her.

"I definitely would have preferred to birth where we were living because of the proximity to home, having all of your stuff there, being in a familiar environment and being able to go home straight afterwards," she said.

"This was all happening during the height of COVID-19, it definitely made the whole situation more stressful. I had to leave earlier because of COVID so I had to leave at 32 weeks; normally they recommend leaving no later than 36 weeks.

"It was a long time to be away from my husband and away from our home as well."