The Mental Health Commission of New South Wales is an independent statutory organisation established under the Mental Health Commission Act 2012 and reports to the NSW Minister for Mental Health.
The Commission was established for the purpose of monitoring, reviewing and improving the mental health and well-being of the people of New South Wales. The Commission is subject to the direction and control of the Minister, except in relation to the preparation and contents of any plan or report prepared by the Commission. The Commission is led by the NSW Mental Health Commissioner appointed by the Governor. The NSW Mental Health Commissioner is supported by an Advisory Board.
More information about the NSW Mental Health Commission is available at www.nswmentalhealthcommission.com.au
The Mental Health Commission Act 2012 establishes the Commission and sets out its functions, including to:
Section 20 of the Act requires that reviews of the work of the Commission are undertaken at least once every 5 years after the first review, which was completed in 2018. A report on a review is to be tabled in Parliament within 12 months of the review period.
More information on the 2018 review of the Commission is available at 2018 Review of the Mental Health Commission of NSW.
The 2024 review will consider the work of the Commission, taking into account its functions and the principles governing its work, as outlined in the Act. The review will assess the performance of the Commission since the last review and make recommendations for functional improvement, if required, giving consideration to the enabling power of the Act. Terms of Reference for the Review are available here.
In November 2023, the Minister for Mental Health approved David McGrath and Associate Professor Richard Matthews AM to undertake the 2024 review of the Mental Health Commission, in order to meet the statutory requirements of the Act. Dr Matthews is a former Deputy Secretary of NSW Health and Mr McGrath is a former Executive Director of the Mental Health Branch. Both have extensive knowledge and experience of mental health systems across Australia and internationally.
The reviewers, on behalf of the Minister, are intending to conduct the review consistent with the indicative sequence below.
Please note that the review is a statutory review required of the Minister for Mental Health. As such authorisation of the final report for tabling in Parliament lies with the Minister.