Incolink proud to sponsor the 2026 National Suicide Prevention Conference

Incolink was proud to sponsor the 2026 National Suicide Prevention Conference, held in Sydney across 28-30 April.

Speaking at the welcome reception, Incolink acting Chief Executive Office Mathew Toner addressed the room at the International Conference Centre, Sydney, highlighting the importance which Incolink places on supporting the mental health of our industry.

Male construction workers die from suicide at 1.7 times the rate of their counterparts in other industries, whilst a 2022 study conducted by Mates in Construction found nearly one in three apprentices reported suicidal ideation in the previous year and more than half knew someone who had either attempted or died by suicide.

“These are not just statistics,” said Toner.

It is through this that the Incolink Bluehats program was born nearly a decade ago, and it’s continued growth demonstrates the desire from our industry as a whole to help curb the factors that are driving so many Australian’s to such drastic and tragic actions.

Wednesday saw Olympian Ian Thorpe deliver the keynote Diego de Leo Address, where he spoke about the importance of destigmatising mental health conversations. Coming from an athletic background, Thorpe spoke about the isolating nature of mental health struggles, and the distinct difference between being outwardly successful and inwardly struggling – a sobering reminder that even an Olympic hero is not immune to struggles with their mental health.

Incolink’s involvement in the conference comes off the back of our recent accreditation by Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA), the national peak body for the suicide prevention sector. In November 2025, SPA certified Incolink's Bluehats Program as meeting the national standard's high bar of effectiveness and safety in suicide prevention, after continued dialogue dating back to early 2025.

We would like to thank Suicide Prevention Australia for their continued advocacy in the mental health space, and for welcoming our involvement in the conference in 2026.