Forums on the coast and inland reflect Australian Institute of Health and Welfare advice that rates of suicide in regional and remote areas are 1.2 to 2.4 times higher than in major cities.

About 550 people die as a result of suicide in NSW each year.

State Minister for Western NSW and Mental Health Kevin Humphries announced the forums that kick off in Wollongong today and end in Albury on August 13.

“Every death by suicide is one death too many,” he said.

“With 550 lives tragically lost to suicide each year in NSW, it has never been more important to work with our communities to reduce the number of suicides and attempted suicides throughout the state.”

Mr Humphries said suicide was a complex issue with “neither a single cause nor a simple solution”.

“Preventing suicide requires everyone in our community to work together as mental health and suicide is everybody’s business.”

The forums will be hosted by the recently-established ministerial advisory committee on suicide prevention. It brings together key suicide prevention experts across the government, non-government and community sectors, research bodies and business.

Participants in the forums will be offered the chance to identify ways in which the government could better support communities to both prevent acts of self-harm and suicide, as well as deal with their aftermath.

“There would be few families in regional NSW that haven’t been touched by suicide in some way, which serves to reinforce our commitment to providing a comprehensive response to this human tragedy,” Mr Humphries said.

“These forums will be vital in allowing our regional communities to provide strategic and independent advice to the NSW government to help us develop suicide prevention policy that reflects the unique needs of their communities.”

Dubbo’s forum will be held on August 8 at a yet-to-be-advised venue.

The forums will also run in Parramatta, Broken Hill, Lismore, Port Macquarie, Newcastle, Nowra, Goulburn and Albury.

Mr Humphries spoke of the government’s eagerness for communities to help shape the government’s approach to suicide prevention at the launch of farmer John Harper’s Mate Helping Mate CD in Dubbo on

May 11.

The CD, described as an “honest and inspiring account of overcoming depression”, was the brainchild of Department of Primary Industries rural support worker in Dubbo, Pip Brown.

It has been funded by the Rotary Club of Dubbo South, the department’s Rural Support Program and the Outback Division of General Practice Brolga program.