The federal government says it is implementing some of the recommendations from an independent review of Australia's organ donation and transplantation program.
It's hoped a new online registration process will help lift donor rates.
According to the Australian Organ Donor Register, at the end of last year, 1.8 million Australians were registered as organ donors -- or just 7 per cent of the population.
A further 4.3 million are said to have signalled their intent to register, but haven't completed the necessary paperwork.
Assistant Health Minister Fiona Nash says the figures are too low.
"Almost all Australians would like to be able to receive a donated organ if it was needed to save their life, yet the vast majority of Australians are not registered as organ donors."
The federal government commissioned the auditing firm Ernst & Young to investigate why Australia's organ and tissue donation statistics are relatively low when compared to other developed nations.
Globally, Australia is ranked 22nd for organ donation, behind countries such as the United States, Spain and Britain.
Would-be donors are required to sign-up online, wait for a form to arrive in the mail, fill it out, and return it to the National Australian Organ Donor Register.
The government has now unveiled what it says will be a streamlined process, launching later this year, for complete registration online.
Assistant Minister Fiona Nash says it's hoped more Australians will be encouraged to donate as a result.
"From May, registering to become an organ donor will be a one-step, online process that people will be able to complete in less than ten minutes -- no paperwork necessary. The government can't increase the number of organ donors on its own, we need Australians to register."
It's one of 24 recommendations made by Ernst & Young.
The review also calls for more attention to be given to hospital professionals being trained to speak to families about organ donation.
And it proposes governance changes for the Organ and Tissue Authority -- a government organisation working to improve donation and transplantation outcomes in Australia.
Dr Helen Opdam is the Authority's National Medical Director.
She says, sometimes the subject of organ donation can be challenging to breach.
"One of the challenges is that it is a subject that's related to death, what we do with our bodies after death, and I think sometimes people don't like talking about death for a range of reasons."
Dr Opdam says the view that religion can be an obstacle to organ donation is inaccurate.
Over the past two years, she says, her organisation has been meeting with the leaders of various religious groups to clarify their positions.
"Really, all religions support organ and tissue donation as an act of charity and good will, and that includes the major faith groups such as Catholicism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism."
Helen Opdam says some segments of the community, particularly those from non-English speaking backgrounds, tend to have less access to information and are often
uncertain about how to register their willingness to donate.
Joe Caputo is the chairman of the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia - the main body representing Australia's ethnic communities.
He says efforts have been made to reach out to people on the issue of organ donation, but barriers still exist.
"If you come from a country where there is no such thing as organ donors, it's very difficult to all of a sudden comprehend the importance and the necessity, and the like."
A donor himself, Mr Caputo says education is key.
And he is encouraging members of Australia's migrant and refugee communities to consider organ donation.
"Particularly with our own mortality, we don't often think about it. We are always thinking about living and it's a good reminder that we are all mortals and it's, you know, we could do a lot of good by donating our organs when we go."
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