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Mike Baird MP
Premier of NSW
Minister for Infrastructure
Minister for Western Sydney
MEDIA RELEASE
Friday 6 March 2015
NSW LEADS THE NATION WITH SIGNIFICANT REFORM OF
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT
Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Women Pru Goward today announced a re-elected
Baird Government will empower partners who are at risk of domestic violence by
implementing an Australian-first register that records the names of offenders.
Under the far-reaching reform the Minister for Women will also be appointed as Minister for
the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault who will be the state’s first
dedicated ministerial voice on domestic and sexual assault issues.
“At the heart of domestic violence and sexual assault is violence and power,” Mr Baird said.
“These issues remain one of the biggest challenges to the welfare of women and children in
NSW and they can now be tackled in a dedicated portfolio.
“The eradication of domestic violence and sexual assault is everyone’s responsibility and
needs a voice at the cabinet table, and a person dedicated to taking leadership on these
issues and ensuring they remain front and centre.”
Mr Baird said the Disclosure Scheme included in the reform package will initially run as a
pilot program in NSW and is modelled on the Clare’s Law scheme in the UK which gives
people the ‘right to ask’ police if they have concern that their partner may pose a risk to
them.
The pilot will also give agencies the ability to make a ‘right to know’ disclosure based upon
information that a person is at risk of harm from their partner.
“This is a simple but powerful measure that provides people with the opportunity to find out
if their partner has a violent past, and empowers decision-making about the future of
relationships,” he said.
Ms Goward said New South Wales is leading the country on domestic violence reform and
following consultation and review NSW is set to be the first state in Australia to introduce a
domestic violence disclosure scheme.
“The domestic violence disclosure scheme introduced in the United Kingdom in 2014 has
proven to be a significant prevention initiative,” Ms Goward said.
“The experience has been that individuals who received a disclosure said they would keep
a closer eye out for warning signs of domestic abuse in their relationships.
“The disclosure process also brought potential victims and perpetrators to the attention of
police and support services, channelling referrals to behaviour-change programs and
counselling.”
In the UK, each disclosure request is considered by a multi-agency decision-making forum,
which is an important safeguard where the legality of the disclosure is decided alongside
how to protect the potential victim.
“A disclosure scheme in NSW has the potential to significantly advance our efforts to
decrease domestic and family violence,” Ms Goward said.
Consultation and development of the domestic violence disclosure scheme will be led by
Women NSW and the Department of Justice. It will review necessary law reform and report
back to the Government with recommendations mid-2015.
The Baird Government’s commitment to tackling domestic violence also includes:
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Continuing the roll-out of the specialised victim-focussed It Stops Here: Safer
Pathway program to the next four locations, being Bankstown, Parramatta, Broken
Hill and Tweed Heads;
Increasing domestic and family violence police capability with 24 domestic violence
specialist police officers, who will assist Domestic Violence Liaison Officers.
For more information on domestic violence policy visit
http://www.domesticviolence.nsw.gov.au/
MEDIA:
Clare Masters 0414 257 745 (Premier)
Emma Mellow 0407 748 965 (Minister)