Fresh attempt to grow state's organ donor registrations

Only 23 per cent of Victorians are registered organ donors, and the rate drops to just 10 per cent among young people.

This has prompted the state government to adopt all 41 recommendations from a 2024 parliamentary inquiry aimed at increasing donor registrations.

Among the recommendations was a call to target teenagers before they become eligible for their licences.

A recent state government study found that a pop-up message on the VicRoads website encouraging people to become donors led to 127 new registrations.

The message, "One organ and tissue donor can save more than 10 lives", was viewed more than 400,000 times.

However, the inquiry noted that donor numbers might not increase immediately, as there are no reliable models predicting how quickly registration rates would rise.

It also noted that opportunities to reach people are limited, as driver licences are only renewed every three or ten years.

Links to the registration website will be added across several Service Victoria sites by mid-2026.

"Organ donation gives Victorians a second chance at life – that's why we are taking immediate action to boost the number of donors across the state," Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said.

Registering via the drivers' licence system is available in South Australia, where the donor rate sits at 72 per cent. 

The national average is 36 per cent, according to date from 2022. 

The Victorian government's response to the inquiry is set to be tabled in parliament on Thursday.

Australian Associated Press