Calls for greater transparency are mounting as the West Australian government’s annual reports into youth suicide face significant delays. It has been nearly seven years since a coroner issued 42 recommendations following the tragic suicide deaths of 12 young Indigenous people in the state’s far north. Since then, a staggering 283 young people aged 15 to 24 across WA have lost their lives, prompting urgent questions about the progress made in preventing these devastating outcomes. The delayed reporting of these critical annual reports raises serious concerns about the government’s commitment to addressing youth suicide. When is the next WA youth suicide report expected? The next annual report, covering 2024-25, is now scheduled for release at the end of 2026, a significant delay from its initial expectation last year. This delay has led to understandable frustration and a perception of a lack of accountability from those directly affected by youth suicide. The original ‘Message Stick’ report and the coroner’s findings together proposed 86 recommendations aimed at curbing the rate of youth suicide in remote areas. A key recommendation was for the WA premier and relevant minister to provide progress reports every six months for at least five years. Instead, the government committed to annual reporting, a commitment now under scrutiny due to the current delays. Of the 86 recommendations, only 23 have been closed, 12 actioned, 42 are in progress, and four have not yet commenced, with one superseded and one without an update. Australian Christians MP Maryka Groenewald expressed shock at the slow pace of progress, stating that the transparency surrounding the implementation of recommendations is lacking. The excuse provided for the delay in the 2024 report was the government entering caretaker mode for an election. However, critics argue that such procedural matters should not impede vital reporting on issues as critical as youth suicide. The Aboriginal Regional Governance Group (ARGG), representing several Kimberley groups, is urging the WA government to uphold its commitments, particularly regarding a formalised partnership for youth wellbeing. ARGG co-chair Jenny Bedford emphasized that true accountability means being answerable to the people served, not measuring one’s own success. ARGG co-chair Martin Sibasado stressed the urgency of the situation, questioning how many more lives must be lost before the government acts with the required speed. He highlighted that while official data lags, the lived experiences of communities paint a grim picture of continued crisis and a lack of genuine government action. WA Minister for Health and Mental Health Meredith Hammat stated in a press release that the government remains dedicated to a collaborative, whole-of-government approach to combatting the high rates of suicide and self-harm among Aboriginal young people. The government is expected to formally sign a Kimberley Aboriginal Youth Wellbeing Partnership Agreement with ARGG next month, a significant step five years after it was initially promised. This agreement, along with the timely release of transparent reports, is crucial for building trust and ensuring that effective strategies are implemented to save young lives.
