Never again on postal surveys: senators

A same-sex marriage-style postal survey should never again be used to resolve human rights issues after an "avalanche" of hate, according to a Senate report.

The Labor-chaired committee tabled its report in the upper house on Tuesday, recommending public votes should not be used to resolve questions of minority rights.

"Having this public survey unleashed such an avalanche of hateful material," Greens senator Janet Rice told parliament.

In a dissenting report, government senators dismissed the idea the debate had been damaging.

"Public debate can be healthy, constructive and help the community come to terms with changes in social mores," Liberals James Paterson and David Fawcett wrote.

The report also recommended the government consider boosting funding to mental health and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex and queer organisations to address the consequences of the postal survey.

But the government senators countered by pointing to mental health funding boosts in the budget and existing contributions to LGBTIQ organisations.

The committee found more could be done to engage with indigenous voters in remote areas, which the government gave in-principle support to while noting there is no simple solution to the issue.