Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) laws have been passed in Victoria (2017), Western Australia (2019), Tasmania (2021), South Australia (June 2021), Queensland (2021), New South Wales (2022) and the Australian Capital Territory (2024).
All states and the ACT now provide VAD as an end of life choice to people who meet the criteria.
The Northern Territory was the first country in the world to pass a VAD law, under the leadership of Chief Minister Marshall Perron, with the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act (1995). The Federal Government vetoed the legislation nine months later. Australia then went through two decades of advocacy to achieve the next VAD Act, in Victoria, in 2017. The NT is expected to table a Bill to allow VAD later in 2026.
VADSA partners with organisations and individuals in Australia and overseas who work to achieve legal voluntary assisted dying.
Voluntary Assisted Dying South Australia is our facebook page. The page contains current information about developments around Australia and the world.
Advocacy Groups listed below represent different interest groups which advocate for VAD.
- South Australian Nurses Supporting Choices in Dying
- Christians Supporting Choice for Voluntary Assisted Dying
- Voluntary Assisted Dying Youth Advocates
- Lawyers for Death with Dignity
- Paramedics Supporting Choices in Dying
- Accessible Voluntary Assisted Dying
State and Territory Partners - each state and territory has an active group supporting VAD implementation and law reform.
- Dying with Dignity NSW
- Dying with Dignity Victoria
- Dying with Dignity Tasmania
- Dying with Dignity Western Australia
- Dying with Dignity Qld
- Northern Territory Voluntary Euthanasia Society
- Dying with Dignity ACT
Go Gentle Australia was established by Andrew Denton to support VAD law reform. The Go Gentle Australia website provides excellent resources - such as documentaries, podcasts, books, articles - which can inform your discussions on VAD and counter the misinformation spread by opponents of VAD.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation supports voluntary assisted dying. Their position statement emphasises the need for enhanced palliative care services, but when the person's suffering is still unbearable, 'a competent adult shall have the right to choose to die at a time and in a manner acceptable to them and shall not be compelled to suffer beyond their wishes'.
Oregon Department of Health Annual Reports provide detailed information on the operation of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act. The first report was published in 1999.
DWDCanada provides a range of resources which inform the VAD debate in Canada and globally. Canada has national VAD legislation, not province by province, and the similarities between Australia’s social, political and cultural environment and that of Canada provide a valuable comparison.
End of Life Choice New Zealand provides valuable information on the implementation of VAD in New Zealand.
World Federation of Right to Die Societies is a global umbrella society for organisations similar to VADSA which advocate for VAD in their jurisdiction. The WFRtDS website provides informative updates on progress towards VAD in these jurisdictions.
Advance Care Directives are a valuable tool to provide guidance to medical professionals and carers on your end of life wishes.
