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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-07-01 Daily Xml
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Suicide Prevention

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:29): On Monday 15 June I participated in the first regional network of suicide prevention networks event at Mount Gambier's City Hall. A feature of the day was presentations from the Mount Gambier, Naracoorte-Lucindale and Murray Bridge networks as well as the South East Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Treasuring Life group. This aspect of the day emphasised the ability of each network to develop an action plan that best suits its community and to utilise the contributions of people with a lived experience.

The event was hosted by the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist's Lynne James as part of the South Australian Suicide Prevention Strategy. Of course, I have mentioned Ms James's work in rolling out the Suicide Prevention Networks across South Australia in this place before. Specific presentations by Medicare Local Country South's Philip Galley and Headspace's Adam Clay focused on tension reduction as an integral part of managing crisis and the preparation of suicide postvention action plans respectively. It was a very successful day. I think people had travelled significant distances within the South-East of South Australia, and from beyond, to be at that event. It was certainly one that, I think, particularly focused on keeping members of our communities safe from suicide.

I look forward to attending the second Regional Network of Networks, which will be held at the Clare Country Club, White Hart Road, Clare, on Thursday 9 July. This will be hosted by the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist and the Back2Basics suicide prevention network, which is based within the Wakefield Regional Council and the Clare & Gilbert Valleys Council areas.

Once again, Adam Clay from Headspace will speak and his speech will be about preparing a community postvention plan, which is important for all organisations, particularly workplaces. As well as Back2Basics, the other networks that have been invited to attend and share about their own local activities include the Gawler Suicide Prevention Network, the Mid Murray Suicide Prevention Network, the Peterborough Suicide Prevention Planning Committee, the Playford Suicide Prevention Network, the SILPAG group from Port Augusta (which stands for Suicide Intervention Life Preservation Action Group), the Whyalla Suicide Prevention Network and the Yorke Peninsula Suicide Prevention Network.

I look forward to joining in with those groups as they work together to achieve the best outcomes for their communities. Those who understand the diversity of those particular localities and their populations will understand that it is valuable for them to learn from each other about activities which will create awareness of suicide and will encourage people to work towards better strategies for prevention and also, as I have mentioned, postvention.

I am also very pleased to report that another community, a significant population community in South Australia has made an important step to establishing a suicide prevention network, and that is the City of Salisbury. It is the second largest population local government area in South Australia. As has been demonstrated by its neighbour group in the Playford council area, suicide and the effects of it are just as prevalent in metropolitan areas as they are in the country. So, I congratulate the City of Salisbury on taking that step.

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