The head of NSW's corruption watchdog says the agency needs to better protect witnesses following the suicides of a former mayor and councillor.
Inspector of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, Gail Furness, said more cultural understanding was needed after it was revealed at least two of the deaths were from the Australian Chinese community.
Findings from an audit into the welfare of witnesses involved in ICAC investigations were published last year.
But a Sydney MP said the recommendations didn't go far enough in taking into account witness' cultural sensitivities.
"Literally months after you'd handed down your report, there was somebody else who'd taken their life," Strathfield MP Jason Li told a NSW parliamentary hearing on Thursday.
Mr Li noted at least two of the deaths were from the Australian Chinese community.
Former Hurstville councillor Clifton Wong was found dead in July 2022, just two days after he took the witness stand and gave evidence to the NSW corruption watchdog.
Leo Liao, a director at property development firm Wu International, took his own life days before he was due to give evidence in June 2018.
Another man also died also took his own life some months after giving evidence in September 2022.
A parliamentary hearing at the time heard "he felt that his honour and reputation had been damaged beyond any redemption".
Mr Li said the watchdog needed better take into account cultural sensitivities "when it comes to reputations and questions of shame".
"People from different backgrounds deal differently with issues of public shame and reputation," he said.
Ms Furness said the agency would take the suggestion on board and would provide more psychological support and staff training.
"I was aware of the backgrounds of some of those who either took their own lives or were distressed and that was at the forefront of my mind that there had to be some cultural understanding," she added.
When pressed whether there would be any review in the criteria used for holding witnesses to public hearings, Ms Furness said the decision came down to the discretionary power of the commissioners.
She cited various reasons including "the public interest, seriousness of the allegations ... the seniority of the people involved (and) impact".
The concerns mirror a witness welfare review undertaken in Victoria.
The state's integrity agencies came under a parliamentary probe after former mayor Amanda Stapledon - under investigation at the time - was found dead in January 2022.
A NSW audit of the welfare of witnesses involved in ICAC investigations published last year found the agency should ensure at-risk witnesses are referred to a mental health practitioner but found the training offered to staff was not adequate.
It also suggested ICAC to consider establishing a Wellbeing Management Officet focus on communications with staff and witnesses.
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