GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Inquiries and submissions
A list of active, or recently closed, inquiries and submissions relevant to domestic and family violence, sexual assault and women’s safety.
Various governments and independent organisations undertake inquiries into topical issues, and seek submissions from interested parties in relevant sectors. The results of these inquiries lead to recommendations put to governments to seek change to policies and procedures. The submission process enables organisations and individuals to have their say and contribute to law reform.
Below is a list of active, or recently closed, inquires and submissions relevant to domestic and family violence and women’s safety. See this outline of the Australian policy context for women’s safety and ANROWS’s resources page for our previous submissions.
| Inquiry or submission | Website | Status | Further reading / See also |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | |||
| Financial Services Regulatory Framework in Relation to Financial Abuse | Visit website | Submissions close 14 June 2024. Report due October 2024. | Terms of reference |
| Current and emerging threats to trans and gender diverse human rights | Visit website | Submissions close 11:59 PM Friday, 12 April 2024 and should be no longer than 2,500 words. | |
| Crimes Amendment (Strengthening the Criminal Justice Response to Sexual Violence) Bill 2024 | Visit website | Submissions closed 22 March 2024. Report due 24 April 2024. | |
| Justice Responses to Sexual Violence | Visit website | The Australian Law Reform Commission is seeking submissions to inform their inquiry into justice responses to sexual violence. Submissions close 24 May 2024. Final report due 22 January 2025. | Issues paper |
| Consultation to establish a national point of referral to help victims and survivors of child sexual abuse | Visit website | Consultations summaries have been released. The National Office is working with states and territories to finalise the service model in early / mid 2024. | Discussion paper |
| Exposure Draft: Family Law Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2023 | Visit website | Submissions closed 10 November 2023. High-level consultation summary has been released in early 2024. Feedback will inform advice to government on improvements to the exposure draft. | Exposure draft |
| Inquiry into the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People | Visit website | Submissions closed 18 August 2023. Report released 28 November 2023. | Report |
| Continuing Professional Development for Legal Practitioners on Coercive Control | Visit website | Submissions closed 21 July 2023. | Discussion paper |
| Family Law Amendment Bill 2023 | Visit website | Submissions closed 23 June 2023. Final report published 24 August 2023. | Final report |
| Scoping the development of specialised and trauma-informed legal services for victims and survivors of sexual assault | Visit website | Submissions closed 7 May 2023. | Discussion paper |
| Current and proposed sexual consent laws in Australia | Visit website | Submissions closed on 31 March 2023. Final Report published 14 September 2023. | Final Report |
| Family Law Amendment Bill 2023 [Exposure Draft] | Visit website | Submissions closed 27 February 2023. The Bill was referred to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry on 11 May 2023. | Exposure draft |
| Access to offenders’ superannuation for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse | Visit website | Submissions closed 16 February 2023. | Discussion paper |
| Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability | Visit website | Submissions closed 31 December 2022. The Royal Commission’s Final Report was released 29 September 2023. | Final Report |
| Australian Framework for the ethical co-production of research with victim survivors | Consultation closed 23 December 2022. The Framework was released in August 2023. | The Framework | |
| Inquiry into the Rights of Women and Children | Visit website | Submissions Closed 16 December 2022. Final Report published November 2023. | Report |
| Missing and murdered First Nations women and children | Visit website | Submissions closed 12 December 2022. Final Report due 30 June 2024. | Terms of reference |
| Employment White Paper - Consultation | Visit website | Submissions closed 30 November 2022. The Employment White Paper was released in September 2023. | Employment White Paper |
| Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services | Visit website | Submissions focused on ParentsNext closed 30 November 2022, Interim Report published February 2023. Final Report published 30 November 2023. | Final Report |
| Consultation Draft of the National Principles to Address Coercive Control | Visit website | Submissions closed 11 November 2022. Consultation Summary released 29 March 2023. National Principles released on 22 September 2023. | National Principles |
| New South Wales | |||
| Review of domestic violence rental laws | Visit website | Submissions closed 2 December 2022. | |
| Australian Capital Territory | |||
| Inquiry into Sexual, Family and Personal Violence Amendment Bill 2023 | Visit website | Submissions closed 29 November 2023. Report published 13 March 2024. Government response due 13 July 2024. | Final Report |
| Victoria | |||
| Inquiry into capturing data on family violence perpetrators in Victoria | Visit website | Submissions close 31 May 2024. | Consultation questions |
| Stalking laws inquiry | Visit website | Submissions closed. Report delivered 21 September 2022. | Final report |
| Tasmania | |||
| Consultation on the Community Protection (Offender Reporting) Amendment Bill 2023 | Visit website | The Tasmanian Government is seeking input on proposed amendments to the Community Protection Offender Reporting Act 2004. These amendments are intended to ensure that appropriate and adequate information is recorded on the register and able to be disclosed for the purpose of monitoring offenders, protecting children, and mitigating risk of serious harm from sexual offending. Consultation closed 16 February 2024. | Draft Bill |
| South Australia | |||
| Workforce Strategy for the Child Protection and Family Support Sector | Visit website | Submissions close 19 April 2024. | |
| Inquiry into home care for children and young people | Visit website | Submissions close Friday 19 April 2024. | |
| Review of consent laws in South Australia | Visit website | Submissions closed 12 February 2024. | Discussion paper |
| Criminalising coercive control | Visit website | Submissions closed 10 October 2023. | Consultation guide |
| Western Australia | |||
| Review of criminal justice responses to sexual offending | Visit website | Consultation closed 8 October 2023. | Fact sheet |
| Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Strategy | Visit website | Consultation closed 15 September 2023. The findings from the consultation process are being used to develop the final Strategy. | Draft Strategy |
| Project 113 - Sexual Offences | Visit website | Final Report has been submitted to the Attorney General for tabling in Parliament. | Discussion paper |
| Legislative Responses to Coercive Control in Western Australia | Submissions closed 30 July 2022. | Fact sheet about the consultation process | |
| Northern Territory | |||
| Exposure Draft Justice Legislation Amendment (Domestic and Family Violence) Bill 2023 | Visit website | Submissions closed 22 August 2023. The Bill was passed on 28 November 2023 and is expected to commence in January 2024. | |
| Inquiry into Consent for Sexual Offences | Visit website | Submissions closed 30 June 2023. | Discussion paper |
| Queensland | |||
| Victims' Commissioner and Sexual Violence Review Board Bill 2024 | Visit website | Submissions closed. Report due 19 April 2024. | |
| Criminal Code (Decriminalising Sex Work) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 | Visit website | Submissions closed 8 March 2024. Report due 12 April 2024. | |
| Criminal Law (Coercive Control and Affirmative Consent) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 | Visit website | Submissions closed Friday 27 October. Final report released 19 January 2024. | Final report |
| Domestic and family violence perpetrator strategy consultation | Visit website | Consultation closed on 22 September 2023. | Consultation paper |
| Sex work industry review | Terms of reference | Final report published March 2023. | Final Report Summary |
| Inquiry into Queensland Police Service responses to domestic and family violence | Visit website | Submissions closed 24 June 2022. Report published 21 November 2022. | Final report |
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Contact ANROWS
PO Box Q389, Queen Victoria Building NSW 1230
Email: enquiries@anrows.org.au