How to combat trouble in paradise

In the Emerald City of the Lucky Country, the northern beaches still stand out for fortune and beauty. Thirty kilometres of glistening coast links Manly to Palm Beach. On this picturesque peninsula, 260,000 people enjoy breathing space unmatched in most of Sydney. But there is another side to paradise. Thirty people killed themselves on the northern beaches last year, according to statistics made available to The Sun-Herald, and young people are over-represented in the figures.

Theories as to why abound, but it can be argued that for all its lifestyle advantages, the area is not pure paradise for young people. The district’s profile is older than the Australian median (40 compared to 38), while there are fewer young people. A ‘‘coalition of care’’ has brought together community groups, mental health experts and the local council to support young people and families or anyone in ‘‘desperate emotional trouble’’. Measures include makeshift barriers such as fences at cliff tops and pipes blocking off access at night. People who live near suicide locations have been trained in mental health first aid.

Where communities lead the process, they must be offered all possible help, and yes that means at the pointy end, with adequate funding. A fence is the right thing, but it is just one thing. We can all help in our own way to attack the problem before a suffering person sets out on the path to that fence.