The Australian Government has announced it intends to establish a Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission to oversee the implementation of the next National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children.
The Commission is to receive Government funding of $22.4 million over five years.
Minister for Women, Senator Marise Payne said the new Commission would provide policy leadership, developing and fostering relationships across the sector, and ensuring greater cooperation and transparency between the Commonwealth, States and Territories in delivering the National Plan.
“It builds on the Government’s commitment to shared responsibility with States and Territories, which was underpinned by our $260 million National Partnership Agreement on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Responses over 2021-22 and 2022-23 to boost the capacity of frontline services,” Senator Payne said.
“The next National Plan will be an ambitious blueprint to end violence against women and children, but it must be more than words,” she said.
Senator Payne said the new Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission would have responsibility for monitoring and reporting on accountability and evaluation frameworks against the next National Plan to ensure it delivered real and tangible actions.
Minister for Women’s Safety, Senator Anne Ruston said the Commission would be classified as an Executive Agency under the Public Service Act and would be led by a chief executive (the Commissioner) and have research and secretariat staff.
“The Commissioner will have key priorities to be set out in a public Charter and Operating Principles approved by the Minister,” Senator Ruston said.
