The ACT Government is calling for community feedback to change how agencies communicate and support victims of domestic and family violence.
“The safety of people who experience domestic and family violence is a key priority for the ACT Government,” said Yvette Berry, Minister for Family and Domestic Violence.
“Domestic and family violence is a serious issue. It can be deadly without the right responses. This reform is about … improv[ing] service responses to domestic and family violence situations.”
The government proposes changing the law in the ACT to enable agencies and support services to share information about a person at risk or a person using violence, in order to keep people safe.
This could include communication between agencies about the situation of a person at risk, or information about a person using violence that will help to hold them accountable.
Kirsty Windeyer, Coordinator-General for Family Safety, said: “This move to a more integrated response for the ACT will allow agencies to improve how they assess risk, and allow for earlier interventions to keep victim-survivors of domestic and family violence safe.
“The proposed legislative changes will improve the way agencies communicate so that we can keep people who use violence in view and held to account for their actions.”
According to the Minister, “these planned reforms to the Domestic Violence Agencies Act 1986 aim to help hold people who use violence to account and provide a more unified response for victim-survivors”.
Canberrans can have their say on how services communicate with one another and build a comprehensive understanding of domestic and family violence risk, allowing services to intervene earlier, so people can get the support they need sooner.
Community organisations and members of the public can provide feedback on a draft Bill and other aspects of the proposed scheme.
“I look forward to hearing community feedback and working together to make the ACT a safer place for us all,” Ms Berry said.
Stakeholder consultation has already begun, and will continue in the coming months.
Community consultation on the reforms is open until 31 October, via the YourSay page.
Help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, anywhere in Australia. You can call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or the ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service on (02) 6280 0900.
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