Every arm of the NSW Government will be required to develop its own suicide prevention plan, under new legislation recently passed through parliament.
The Suicide Prevention Bill 2025 is the first time in NSW history that suicide prevention has been written into law. NSW now joins a handful of countries around the world in adopting a world-leading legislative model that makes every arm of government accountable for preventing suicide. In 2024, 951 people in NSW were lost to suicide making it the leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 44.
The government described the Suicide Prevention Bill 2025 as one of the most significant reforms ever undertaken in mental health, placing suicide prevention at the centre of government decision making and embedding accountability across agencies.
The bills includes:
• A Statewide strategy: A mandatory suicide prevention plan led by the NSW Mental Health Commission and shaped by lived experience.
• Agency action plans: Every government department, including NSW Police, will be required to develop their own suicide prevention plan with rollout from 2027.
• Advisory councils: Two new advisory bodies, the NSW Suicide Prevention Council and the NSW Aboriginal Suicide Prevention Council, bringing together lived-experience voices, Aboriginal leaders, experts and government.
• Monitoring system: The NSW Suicide Monitoring System enshrined in law, ensuring transparent and ongoing reporting of suspected and confirmed suicides to inform policy and funding.
If you or someone you know needs specialist mental health care, call the Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511. It is a free service operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week staffed by trained mental health professionals. If life is in danger, call Triple 000.
