The ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Suicide Prevention Bill 2025​​ was introduced to Parliament in June 2025. The Bill is still to be debated and is yet to be passed into legislation.
The Bill fulfills a ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Government commitment to introduce legislation to enshrine a whole of government approach to suicide prevention, to better understand, prevent, and respond to suicide and suicidal distress across ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. It will also provide a clear framework for government accountability, so that suicide prevention is not siloed or optional, but embedded into the business of government.​â¶Ä‹
Around half of people who die by suicide have not had contact with the health system in the year prior to their death. Preventing lives lost to suicide is not just a health issue but a whole of government issue, requiring collective attention and action.
People have interactions with other ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Government organisations and services (agencies) as part of their everyday life, and all agencies have a responsibility to ensure their staff are both supported and equipped to respond compassionately to people who present in distress.
Mental ill-health is not the primary driver of distress leading to suicide. Drivers of distress are varied and often rooted in people's broader life circumstances. Addressing the drivers that can lead to suicide is crucial in reducing the likelihood of a person reaching suicidal crisis.​
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The ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Suicide Prevention Bill 2025:
The statewide suicide prevention plan will be guided by lived and living experience and evidence, consider the needs of people disproportionately impacted by suicide and promote improved suicide prevention capability across government. The plan will consider how infrastructure an​d urban design may impact suicide risk and provide broad recommendations for future suicide prevention activities.
The statewide Aboriginal suicide prevention plan will embed a whole of government approach and address the specific cultural and geographical contexts of Aboriginal communities. It will include culturally safe, community driven strategies which prioritise Aboriginal perspectives and needs. In developing this plan, consideration must be given to lived and living experience, culturally safe strategies, along with evidence and data.
Under the Bill, each ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Government department, the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Police Force and other prescribed agencies will be required to develop a suicide prevention action plan. It is expected that all government agencies will be covered by a suicide prevention plan, either their own specific plan or covered by part of the larger departmental plan. The Commission will support departments and agencies to develop their plans.
These action plans will be informed by the statewide suicide prevention plans and be adaptable to the different roles and functions of departments and agencies. They will consider and address department/agency matters that can contribute to suicide prevention, looking internally at culture and functions of the department/agency, and externally at the way they interact with members of the public. ​
The Bill also establishes the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Suicide Prevention Council and the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Aboriginal Suicide Prevention Council. The Councils will advise the Commission about the preparation, implementation and review of the statewide plans and provide advice to the Commission about improvements to suicide prevention.
The ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Suicide Prevention Council will be comprised of people with diverse expertise and experiences, including people with lived and living experience of suicide, people who are representative of population groups disproportionately impacted by suicide, representatives from relevant organisations and people with professional or academic expertise in suicide prevention. It is proposed the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Mental Health Commission will coordinate the Council and members will be appointed by the Minister for Mental Health.
Membership of the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Aboriginal Suicide Prevention Council will comprise Aboriginal people with lived and living experience, Elders and Aboriginal people in leadership positions, people with professional or academic expertise in Aboriginal suicide prevention and other individuals or representatives from organisations with expertise relevant to Aboriginal suicide prevention, ensuring a genuine focus on self-determination. ​
The Bill will require the Secretary of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Health to maintain a register of deaths by suicide and suspected suicide which, in effect, embeds in legislation the existing ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Suicide Monitoring System.
The ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Suicide Monitoring System is a partnership between ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Health, the Department of Communities and Justice, the Coroners Court and ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Police. It provides reporting on suspected and confirmed deaths by suicide and is used to inform policy and investment decisions, provide deidentified public reporting and support thorough critical incident reviews by our health services.​
The Bill has not yet been passed by ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Parliament and no immediate drop in suicide rates is expected once the legislation takes effect. This sort of wide-scale, whole of government change takes time. There are a range of other suicide prevention and response activities that are being delivered outside of this legislation.
After the Bill is passed, the Commission will need time to consult on and develop the two statewide plans and establish the two suicide prevention councils. The action plans will be developed after the statewide plans are released.​
The voices of people with lived and living experience of suicide have been vital in informing the Bill and will be central to implementation. Consultation occurred on the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Suicide Prevention Legislation discussion paper with people with lived and living experience of suicide, the suicide prevention sector, the Social and Emotional Wellbeing Sector and across government. Extensive consultation also occurred across all ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Government departments.
National peak body Suicide Prevention Australia was contracted to consult with the suicide prevention sector and people with a lived and living experience of suicide. Suicide Prevention Australia conducted a CEO roundtable with 12 major organisations to gather strategic insights from leading voices in mental health and suicide prevention. They also consulted 73 individuals with lived or living experience of suicide through a series of workshops and a survey which received 575 responses. The consultations included voices from groups disproportionately impacted by suicide.​
Aboriginal owned and led consulting firm First Nations Co. was contracted to conduct consultations with the Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing Sector and Aboriginal people with a lived and living experience of suicide. These consultations included in-person interviews and focus groups with 78 participants across Broken Hill, Newcastle and Lismore, virtual sessions with 96 individuals, representing 44 organisations, and an online survey with 81 responses. In total, 255 contributors participated, with 83% identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and over half residing in rural or regional areas. ​â¶Ä‹
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call Triple Zero 000 or go to your nearest Emergency Department​.
Your can also call Lifeline on 13 11 14, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Or visit Get help now for more crisis services that may be better suited to you.​