On Friday 27 January 2023, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Ros Spence announced the implementation of all 227 recommendations made by the Royal Commission.
The announcement, which took place at The Orange Door in Broadmeadows, was delivered alongside family violence campaigner and former Australian of the Year Rosie Batty as well as CEO of Safe and Equal Tania Farha, Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council Chair Kym Valentine and Advocate Yee Man Louie.
This is a key milestone in the reform of Victoria’s nation-leading family violence system, strengthening its foundations and supporting all Victorians to feel confident about reporting family and sexual violence and seeking the help they need.
The statewide roll-out of the Orange Door Network is one of the key features of the $3.7 billion reform in response to the Royal Commission, a monumental effort led by Family Safety Victoria and the Office of Prevention of Family Violence.
Royal Commission into Family Violence
227 recommendations have been implemented from the Royal Commission into Family Violence.
Here’s the journey so far…
February 2014
Former Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty becomes a powerful voice on the issue of family violence after the tragic murder of her 11-year-old son Luke.
Her advocacy propels the voices of victim survivors – and the work of gender equality organisations to create change – onto public and government agendas.
November 2014
Victoria appoints Australia’s first-ever Minister for Prevention of Family Violence: the late Fiona Richardson.
December 2014
Victorian Government announces Australia’s first Royal Commission into Family Violence.
22 February 2015
The Royal Commission is set up to find ways to prevent family violence, improve support for victim survivors and hold perpetrators to account. It includes:
- 25 days of public hearings
- community conversations with over 800 Victorians
- nearly 1,000 written submissions received.
2015
Victoria Police establishes Australia’s first dedicated Family Violence Command
29 March 2016
Victorian Government accepts all 227 Royal Commission recommendations.
Backed by a historic financial investment, the total Victorian investment to date is $3.7 billion
2016
Respectful Relationships education becomes a core component of the Victorian Curriculum.
1,950+ schools are taking a whole school approach to Respectful Relationships and creating a culture of gender equality and respect to prevent family violence.
July 2016
The Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council is created so people with lived experience of family violence can provide advice direct to government.
1 November 2016
Ending Family Violence - Victoria’s 10 Year Plan to prevent and respond to family violence launches.
December 2016
Safe and Strong Victoria’s first gender equality strategy launches to prevent violence against women by building a more equal future.
April 2018
The Central Information Point starts providing family violence workers with consolidated, critical information about perpetrators of family violence.
14 May 2018
The first Orange Door opens in Frankston – the first in what has become a network of 17 visible support and safety hubs.
September 2018
The Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM) and information sharing schemes launches across 850 Victorian organisations and services - police, courts, family violence services, child protection, mental health, and drug and alcohol services to ensure that services effectively address family violence and promote child wellbeing and safety.
2018
Free from Violence
Victoria’s plan to stop family violence and violence against women before it starts by challenging the systems, structures, behaviours and attitudes that lead to violence is released.
4 October 2018
Respect Victoria, the only state government agency in Australia dedicated to the prevention of gender-based and all forms of family violence, is created.
2018
Dhelk Dja: Safe Our Way – Strong Culture, Strong Peoples, Strong Families: an Aboriginal led 10 Year Plan to address family violence in Aboriginal communities is released.
2019
The first of 19 ‘core and cluster’ refuges open, ensuring crisis accommodation with specialist support is safe, accessible and meets needs.
April 2019
Everybody Matters Inclusion and Equity Blueprint released.
A pathway to an inclusive, safe, responsive and accountable family violence system for all – First Peoples, disabled, multicultural and multifaith, seniors, children and youth, LGBTIQ+, and others.
30 September 2019
The first of 14 Specialist Family Violence Courts commences operation in Shepparton.
25 February 2020
The Gender Equality Act 2020
The first legislation of its kind in Australia is enacted to improve workplace gender equality across the Victorian public sector and help prevent violence against women.
April 2021
MARAM Commencement of the second phase of the MARAM and Information Sharing Schemes – expanding to universal and education services, taking the scheme to over 400,000 professionals in Victoria.
April 2022
Victoria’s Family Violence Memorial is unveiled at St Andrews Reserve in Melbourne as a space for remembrance, reflection and hope.
12 October 2022
The final Orange Door hub opens in Western Melbourne.
2023
Building on these foundations, our efforts to drive down family violence and stop it before it starts are ongoing.
We will continue to put people with lived experience at the heart of our work.
Since the Royal Commission was handed down in 2016, we have seen a cultural shift in the community, with our work building a better understanding of family violence as well as increased willingness by people to take action to respond to and prevent it.
With these recommendations in place, the foundations of our system are strong. This is, of course, a generational reform – our efforts to build the system will continue, as does our long-term prevention work to change the attitudes, behaviours and power imbalances that lead to family violence.
For more information, visit The family violence recommendations page on vic.gov.au.