Making it easier to give the gift of life

The Victorian government has responded to the parliamentary inquiry into increasing the number of registered organ and tissue donors, outlining support for the report’s 41 recommendations. The response outlines support for 17 of the Inquiry’s recommendations in full, with a further 24 supported either in principle or in part to boost Victoria’s registered donation numbers. The state government will take immediate action to expand donor registration pathways including updating Victoria’s driver licence system to prompt and direct people to sign up to the Australian Organ Donor Register. DonateLife Victoria general manager Tony Holland said the response by the state government supports their belief that introducing a link between the Victorian driver licence system and the Australian Organ Donor Register will help increase organ and tissue donations. “Along with a public awareness campaign, this will make the most significant impact to registration, over time,” he said. “Many Victorians still associate organ donation registration with their driver licence, and the most natural place to encourage sign-ups would be to reintroduce this link. “This is a positive step forward. “More people registering as organ and tissue donors will mean that more lives can be saved through transplantation. “We owe it to the 1800 Australians currently on organ transplant waitlists to do everything we can to increase organ donation rates.” Links to the registration website will also be added across several Service Victoria cards, including for those applying for a digital driver’s licence, by mid-2026. This is in addition to the recent launch of a dedicated information page on the Service Victoria app and website to connect users directly to DonateLife’s registration website. The government will also boost community awareness in areas where there are low donor rates and support specialist staff to facilitate compassionate and culturally appropriate conversations with Victorians. In Victoria, the number of deceased organ donors, and lives saved, was the highest in the nation in 2024, reflecting the generosity of Victorians and their families and the dedication of specialist staff who facilitate compassionate conversations to save and transform lives across the community. However, in the past three years, the proportion of Victorians registered as donors has decreased, with the state’s registration rate on the Australian Organ Donor Registry now lower than the national average. Sign up to become an organ and tissue donor by visiting donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today.

Making it easier to give the gift of life

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