I, and also on behalf of Senator O'Neill, move:

That the following matter be referred to the Community Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 17 October 2018:

The accessibility and quality of mental health services in rural and remote Australia, with specific reference to:

(a) the nature and underlying causes of rural and remote Australians accessing mental health services at a much lower rate;

(b) the higher rate of suicide in rural and remote Australia;

(c) the nature of the mental health workforce;

(d) the challenges of delivering mental health services in the regions;

(e) attitudes towards mental health services;

(f) opportunities that technology presents for improved service delivery; and

(g) any other related matters.