Published Tuesday, 27 May, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Minister for Families, Seniors and Disability Services and Minister for Child Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence
The Honourable Amanda Camm
MEDIA STATEMENT: New independent Domestic and Family Violence Advisory Panel established
New independent Domestic and Family Violence Advisory Panel established
- A new independent domestic and family violence advisory panel has been established and will provide advice on reform.
- The panel is comprised of DFV experts from an array of backgrounds including former police officers, solicitors, support services and academics.
- The panel met for the first time in Townsville on May 26.
The Crisafulli Government has established a new independent panel to advise on reforms to strengthen responses for survivors of domestic and family violence and hold perpetrators to account.
The domestic and family violence (DFV) advisory panel is comprised of professionals with extensive experience and diverse backgrounds including policing, legal, academic, and support services.
The panel will play a critical role by offering practical advice on government policy and how reform already underway will operate within the DFV system.
This announcement continues the Crisafulli Government’s commitment to reform the DFV sector, which was left in a dire state under the former Labor Government.
In the last decade under Labor, domestic and family violence incidents rose by close to 218 per cent, with Queensland Police responding to a DFV incident every three minutes.
The Crisafulli Government has already introduced legislation amendments that include the police protection directions, GPS trackers on high-risk offenders and video recorded evidence in chief for DFV survivors.
The Government is also undertaking a review of DVConnect to ensure victims are receiving the help they need, when they need it.
The first meeting of the advisory panel was held in Townsville on May 26, 2025, with the group set to meet four times a year to identify priorities.
Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Amanda Camm said the Crisafulli Government was committed to holding perpetrators to account and getting better outcomes for victim survivors.
“This panel will be critical in offering practical advice backed by their extensive experience in working with victims and their dealing with perpetrators throughout their careers,” Minister Camm said.
“We have introduced the first tranche of changes to reform the domestic violence system to ensure that we are better protecting victims and holding perpetrators to account.
“These changes are just the start, as we continue to unravel the mess left following a decade of neglect under the former Labor Government.
“We need to ensure our systems are fit for purpose, so that all Queenslanders have access to services that meet their needs, no matter where they live.
“Every day, services take critical on-the-ground action to prevent and address the devastating effects of domestic and family violence, but to improve our responses we need to see greater collaboration to help keep Queenslanders safe.”
ENDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Members appointed to the DFV Advisory Panel are:
Wynetta Dewis – Wynetta is the CEO of the Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service. A proud Torres Strait Islander woman, Wynetta has more than 25 years’ of experience in management and project management roles. She is also the chair of the First Nations Advocates Against Family Violence, the national peak body for family violence prevention legal services, and Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Group.
Kelli Martin – Kelli is a solicitor, business leader and social justice advocate, and has predominantly worked in family and criminal law after being admitted as a legal practitioner to the Supreme Court of Queensland and High Court of Australia in 2008. Kelli founded KLM Solicitors in 2015 with a vision for a contemporary, client-focused law firm. She is a former board director for the Red Rose Foundation and actively works to end domestic and family violence.
Elise Feltham – Elise has more than 17 years' experience in policing and was the founding officer-in-charge of the Domestic and Family Violence and Vulnerable Persons Unit, Townsville District. She has extensive knowledge in integrated service responses. In 2022, Elise testified at the Domestic Violence Commission of Inquiry, and was seconded to the Domestic and Family Violence Command in Brisbane. Elise worked in a specialised training team, developing and delivering new domestic and family violence training packages for police officers statewide. The team received the Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in 2024.
Dr Brian Sullivan – Brian has worked in the domestic and family violence sector nationally and internationally, as practitioner, academic and consultant for 25 years. He is a member of the Coroner’s Domestic and Family Violence Death Review and Advisory Board and the Queensland Police Service Domestic and Family Violence Advisory Group. He is also a former CEO of the Red Rose Foundation, senior lecturer at CQUniversity, and practice manager of the Responsible Men’s Program at Youth and Family Service in Logan. Brian is also the Founder of Sicura, providing education, training and support for domestic violence intervention professionals.
Associate Professor Heather Lovatt – Heather has been the director of the Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research (QCDFVR) at CQUniversity since 2018. She has an extensive background in human services and has led a diverse range of gendered violence projects, spanning education, sector development and research. Heather works to ensure QCDFVR’s research has tangible links to practice.
MEDIA CONTACT: Chris McMahon, 0428 475 829