Federal Member for Fremantle Melissa Parke was at Fremantle Oval today to launch a new government strategy aimed at reducing Indigenous suicide rates.

Also the Parliamentary Secretary for Mental Health, Parke met with Michael Johnson at the club’s headquarters.

She called Indigenous suicide a national tragedy and stressed the fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were experiencing suicide within their communities at approximately twice the rate of the rest of the population.

“The suicide rate in Australia has been flat for about 10 years now and it hasn’t gone down for either the general population or in Indigenous communities, and that shouldn’t be happening,” Parke said.

“We need to find innovative new ways of addressing this terrible situation.

“We’re looking forward to seeing a reduction in the tragic rate of suicide and self-harm in Indigenous communities.”

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Strategy will focus on early intervention and building stronger communities with the aim of reducing the prevalence of suicide and the impact on individuals, their families and communities.

Johnson, who will play in the AFL Indigenous Round this Sunday on National Sorry Day, said he supported any move to reduce Indigenous suicide.

“Being an Indigenous person, I’ve known of a lot of young Indigenous people who have taken their own life,” he said.

“It’s a sad thing for them and their family.

“You never want any young person to take their own life for any reason, so if the government can get a plan set up and a program to help Indigenous communities and their people, we’ll all benefit from it.

Parke was also full of praise for the Fremantle Dockers’ contribution to the Indigenous community.

“We know that the Fremantle Dockers have been leaders in Indigenous inclusion and community education,” she said.

“That goes back to the early days when Gerard Neesham was coach, right up to the present day when the Dockers have just launched their Reconciliation Action Plan.”

The first national whole-of-government strategy to reduce Indigenous suicide identifies six broad action areas, which are:

       - Building strengths and capacity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities;

       - Building strengths and resilience in individuals and families;

       - Targeted suicide prevention services;

       - Coordinating approaches to prevention;

       - Building the evidence base and disseminating information; and

       - Standards and quality in suicide prevention.

The development of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention strategy was recommended by a Senate inquiry into suicide in Australia in 2011.

If you or someone you know may be at risk, Lifeline can help 13 11 14