Renewed focus for domestic and family violence

The Premier has today released the Queensland Government’s Fourth Action Plan to tackle domestic and family violence.

Addressing the White Ribbon Day Breakfast this morning, the Premier also announced the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Council will be extended over the next four years, to drive further cultural change and support the delivery of the action plan.

“We’ve been working hard for a long time to tackle domestic and family violence and until the violence stops, we won’t stop,” the Premier said.

“We brought the issue out from behind closed doors, and since 2015 and the landmark Not Now, Not Ever Report, we’ve invested more than $1.3 billion in services, programs and strategies to address this scourge on society.

“This includes historic reforms announced this year thanks to the work of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce, and the Commission of Inquiry into police responses to domestic and family violence.

“There is significant work to be done and that’s why I’ve announced the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Council will be extended through the duration of our Fourth Action Plan, to 30 June 2026.

“This extended term will allow the Council to support our reforms – including the strengthening of legislation to criminalise coercive control – and will ensure the Council play an active role, delivering on the Prevention Strategy’s fourth and final Action Plan.

“And to provide consistent and confident leadership, I’m pleased Mrs Vanessa Fowler and Mr Bob Atkinson have agreed to continue as co-chairs.”

The Fourth Action Plan 2022–23 to 2025–26 of the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Strategy 2016–2026 provides a comprehensive blueprint capturing the Government’s commitments to strengthen Queensland’s response to domestic and family violence over the next four years.

The focus of the Fourth Action Plan has been extended to address the critical issue of coercive control and to ready Queensland’s domestic and family violence and justice systems for this reform agenda.

Under the Fourth Action Plan, reforms will work to:

• increase awareness and appropriate responses to all forms of domestic and family violence
• prioritise culturally safe and trauma-informed responses to keep people safe at all stages of their life, and in key settings
• ensure domestic and family violence responses are integrated, holistic, specific and effective
• deliver initiatives that actively address perpetrating behaviours and increase perpetrator accountability
• increase an intersectional approach to responding to domestic and family violence, including with sexual violence

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Minister for Women and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Shannon Fentiman said the Prevention Council will also include an increased number of First Nations members, and an increased number of members with lived experience of domestic and family violence. 

“It’s important that the Council reflect all of the communities it serves – to build on momentum, and better deliver for groups of people more likely to be impacted by domestic and family violence, and who face greater challenges accessing appropriate support,” Minister Fentiman said.

Minister Fentiman also shared her support for the Prevention Council, which has encouraged leaders outside of Government to take action against domestic and family violence.  

 “We know that we cannot do this alone,” the Minister said.

“Together we must unite to end all forms of violence and abuse in Queensland, including the insidious issue of coercive control.

“It is up to all of us to stop the behaviours and attitudes that trivialise, excuse or perpetuate domestic and family violence.”

For more information on the Queensland Government’s efforts to end domestic and family violence and the Fourth Action Plan, please visit: 

www.justice.qld.gov.au/initiatives/end-domestic-family-violence

https://www.justice.qld.gov.au/initiatives/end-domestic-family-violence/dfvp-strategy

ENDS

Media contact – Zoe Russell (Premier’s office) – 0439 982 347