Veteran and service personnel suicide rates are at three per fortnight - it is a community health problem that former Warragul RSL president and Afghanistan veteran Bill Westhead said needed better support.

At a meeting in Warragul last week, Mr Westhead provided a picture of the reality of service life, and the support services needed for veterans and defence personnel.
Mr Westhead told the meeting the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide's final report addressed systemic issues within the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA), highlighting a "delay, deny, die" culture.
He said the phrase reflected veterans' perceptions of DVA's claims process, characterised by delays, denials, and suicides among veterans.
Focussing on some of the Royal Commission's recommendations, Mr Westhead said the final report called for systemic changes to eliminate the "delay, deny, die" culture to enable better support for veterans, focusing on accountability, faster claim resolutions, and improved mental health support to reduce the tragic consequences of this culture.
Mr Westhead spoke of extensive delays for veterans in claims, often caused by overwhelming caseloads of DVA staff and long waiting periods for medical assessments or compensation determinations.
He said many veterans felt their claims had been denied, despite having legitimate entitlements - a process which could be demoralising and lead to further frustration and worsening mental health.
Tragically, Mr Westhead said, the combination of delays and denials created a cycle linked to high rates of suicide within the veteran community.
Veterans, feeling isolated and unsupported by the system, may see no way out of their distress, contributing to tragic outcomes, he said.
While acknowledging "veterans can be very difficult," Mr Westhead called for "leadership and accountability" within DVA to ensure a culture change where it was needed.
He said while Royal Commission recommendations would force change to the DVA, with a lack of confidence and little or no trust from the majority of veterans, the organisation was "on long term probation."
He said the radical operational and cultural reconstruction recommended would only work with accountability, resourcing, veteran participation in management and the injection of veteran experience at the DVA workplace.
Substantial additional financing also was required, he said, but finance would not treat address culture issues.
Support services available to veterans and service personnel include Open Arms 1800 011046 and the DVA support line 1800 628036.
Lifeline also provides 24-hour crisis support - 131114.