Recommendation 158

Women and children in Australia have the right to feel safe and live without fear of violence.

The National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-22 (National Plan) is a 12 year plan that aims to reduce violence against women and their children. The National Plan was released in February 2011 and is being delivered through four three-year action Plans. The National Plan provides a mechanism to drive effort and make investment in reducing domestic, family and sexual violence.

The Third Action Plan 2016-2019 of the National Plan sets out 36 practical actions, across six National Priority areas, these being:

• prevention and early intervention;
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children;
• greater support and choice;
• sexual violence;
• responding to children living with violence; and
• keeping perpetrators accountable across all systems.

The Australian Government has made additional funding commitments towards women's safety in recent years:

• Additional $100 million in 2016-17 Budget under the Third Action Plan.
• $100 million Women's Safety Package, announced September 2015.
• New funding of $54.4 million in the 2018-19 Budget.
• $117.2 million under the 2017-18 Transitional National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness, which prioritises women and children experiencing domestic and family violence.

Under the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement, the Australian Government provides $1.5 billion per year to states and territories (States) for housing and homelessness services. States are required to publish homelessness strategies that address priority cohorts including women and children affected by family and domestic violence in order to receive funding.

The National Office for Child Safety (the Office) was established on 1 July 2018 within the Australian Government Department of Social Services.  The establishment of the Office demonstrates the Government's leadership and commitment to national reform to prevent future abuse and builds on existing measures such as the National Redress Scheme and the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2009-2020. The Office will provide national leadership in the development and implementation of national policies and strategies to enhance children's safety, with a particular focus on the prevention of child sexual abuse, and reduce future harm to children.

The Office will have a national leadership role, working across governments and sectors, in the development and implementation of policies and strategies to enhance children's safety and reduce future harm to children. Work will focus on recommendations from the Royal Commission requiring multi-level government and sector responses, including agencies responsible for community services, home affairs, education, health, communications and arts, and justice. The Office works in partnership with governments, sectors, community and children and young people in developing and implementing its strategies.

• implementation of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, including promoting and ensuring the safety of children in Commonwealth care though the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework
• a national strategy to prevent child sexual abuse
• a national framework for child safety post-2020
• a national centre to raise awareness and understanding of the impacts of child sexual abuse, support help-seeking and guide best practice, and
• a prevalence of child maltreatment in Australia study.

For information about state and territory policies and programmes related to domestic and family violence, visit:

• Australian Capital Territory – Community Services Directorate
• New South Wales – Domestic Violence
• Northern Territory – Territory Families
• Queensland – Queensland Government
• South Australia – Office for Women
• Tasmania – Department of Premier and Cabinet – Safe Homes, Safe Families
• Victoria – Department of Human Services
• Western Australia – Department for Child Protection and Family Support