Gayaa Dhuwi urges reform after audit findings highlight gaps in suicide prevention partnerships

Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia has called for structural and system reform in mental health and suicide prevention, arguing that recent national findings show partnership mechanisms with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations cannot deliver change without stronger governance, accountability and culturally safe decision-making settings.

In a statement responding to findings from the Productivity Commission’s final review of the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement and an Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) performance audit, Gayaa Dhuwi said commitments are falling short without practical reform. “Without structural and system reform, and genuine accountability, outcomes will not change,” the organisation said.

The ANAO audit, which examined how the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing develops and monitors suicide prevention measures, found the department’s guidance to key partners was “unclear or inconsistent with a commitment to work in partnership” and that the department had not provided implementation advice to government on national strategies as at September 2025.

The audit also detailed problems in the development and finalisation of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Strategy. It found that between 2021 and 2024 Gayaa Dhuwi sought advice on finalisation processes, but the department “either did not provide advice, provided inconsistent advice or provided advice that was not aligned with the commitment to work in partnership”.

In relation to the Social and Emotional Wellbeing Policy Partnership, the ANAO reported that meeting papers described the partnership being used “primarily as an information-sharing forum”, limiting its ability to influence national policy and make joint recommendations.

Gayaa Dhuwi chair Professor Helen Milroy said the moment should trigger a shift in how governments work with First Peoples, stating: “We are at a crossroads of opportunity.”

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has said it welcomed the audit’s findings and agreed or agreed in principle, with the recommendations, including work to clarify roles, strengthen monitoring frameworks and improve empowerment and decision-making with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders.

Support is available through 13YARN (13 92 76) and Lifeline (13 11 14).