Mental health services in the bush will be examined during a Senate inquiry which will look at high suicide rates in rural and regional Australia.
Labor and the Greens have referred the issue to the upper house's community affairs committee, with a motion passing the upper house on Monday.
The inquiry will look at why Australians living in remote and rural areas are accessing mental health services at a lower rate than in major cities and the higher rate of suicide in country areas.
It will also investigate attitudes towards mental health services, the challenges of services delivery in regional areas and how technology can improve services.
"Australians struggling with mental ill-health already have the odds stacked against them with insufficient mental health services," Greens senator Rachel Siewert said.
"This is only exacerbated in the bush, with regional and remote Australians, particularly our first peoples and our farmers, struggling with high rates of mental ill health and suicide."
The government didn't stand in the way of the inquiry, but frontbencher James McGrath noted the ongoing workload on committees and concerns about additional references.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.
MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78.
Multicultural Mental Health Australia www.mmha.org.au.
Local Aboriginal Medical Service details available from www.bettertoknow.org.au/AMS
