World Suicide Prevention Day

Ms CLANCY (Elder) (15:47): On 10 September, we recognise World Suicide Prevention Day. Each year, more than 3,000 Australians die by suicide. For every life lost, there are countless others—families, friends, colleagues and entire communities—who feel the devastating ripple effect. We also know that around 65,000 Australians attempt to take their life each year. They are not just numbers; they represent real people with real struggles, and they give real opportunities for us to make a difference.

Suicide does not discriminate. It touches people from every walk of life, yet we know that certain groups—including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, LGBTQIA+ communities, veterans, first responders and those in regional and remote areas—experience a disproportionate burden. This reality demands targeted, culturally safe and accessible support services. On World Suicide Prevention Day, we gather to reflect, remember and reaffirm our commitment to preventing suicide in our communities. We remember those we have lost, and we acknowledge the deep and enduring pain felt by those left behind.

In South Australia, we are leading the way in suicide prevention. We are the first state in Australia with a Suicide Prevention Act, ensuring a coordinated whole-of-government response. Through the South Australian Suicide Prevention Council, we are bringing together people with lived experience, researchers, clinicians and community leaders to drive meaningful change.

We are also strengthening suicide prevention networks across the state. These networks empower communities to strengthen mental wellbeing, prevent suicide and support those impacted. They raise awareness, encourage conversations and help-seeking, and break down stigma. These networks are driven by dedicated volunteers who know their communities and bring diverse life experiences to the role.

By recognising that local people are best placed to identify issues and create solutions, the networks foster hope, wellbeing and social connection. There are now more than 40 networks in South Australia, most placed in metropolitan and regional areas—particularly regional areas—with some supporting priority populations across the state.

Another stand-out investment by the Malinauskas Labor government is funding and expanding the SAPOL Mental Health Co-responder Model, a shining example of how collaboration can respond to crisis situations with care and compassion. We are investing $13.9 million over five years to continue and expand this program, building on its success in the central and northern local health networks.

Launched in 2022, the program pairs a mental health clinician with a police officer to respond to 000 mental health calls. This approach has already prevented more than 2,470 emergency department presentations. With expansion to the southern suburbs from October, we expect to avoid another 800 or so each year. The results speak for themselves. The co-responder model improves crisis responses, delivers trauma-informed care and reduces pressure on both hospitals and our police. This is an initiative that supports community safety, strengthens mental health care and complements our broader investment in public mental health services, including the delivery of more than 130 new mental health beds across the state.

Suicide prevention work cannot rest solely with the government. Suicide prevention is a shared responsibility, one that must unite us across sectors, services, communities, and generations. When we share that responsibility and we work together, we can make a real difference. By fostering connection, breaking down stigma, and ensuring that support is accessible and safe, we can create hope through action, and every action, no matter how small, has the potential to save a life.

Let us build a culture where talking about mental health is a normal part of everyday life, where reaching out for help is met with understanding and compassion and where no-one is left to face their struggles alone. I recently heard the phrase 'trusted other' in the context of suicide prevention. I will leave you with this thought: if you were in need, who would be your trusted other? And arguably, just as important, whose trusted other could you be? Today is a good day to reach out to them and tell them that you are there for them.