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The creation of a Queensland peak body for sexual violence will give victim survivors a greater say on laws and policies, according to the service provider tasked with fast-tracking its delivery.
The body, which was a recommendation of the former Labor government’s Women’s Safety Taskforce, will give victims of sexual violence a unified voice, according to Queensland Sexual Assault Network (QSAN).
“A peak body will help to sustain a strong sector for victim survivors, and provides a pathway for survivors into the hallways of power to influence legislation, policy and service provision,” QSAN chief executive Angela Lynch said.
Amanda Camm made the announcements today at parliament. Credit: Julius Dennis
Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Amanda Camm said access to the body was crucial to respond to increasing victim numbers and declining services.
“We know standing up a peak body, they can do that very important both advocacy work, but also that workforce development work across the sector,” Camm said.
Lynch said the Queensland Sexual Assault Network will receive funding to establish the sexual violence body, which will be operational in the first half of next year.
“The establishment of a peak body for sexual violence in Queensland will ensure our collective community efforts can efficiently respond to, and prevent, sexual violence,” she said.
Camm also announced a peak body for domestic violence, initially slated to be launched by the end of 2029, would be stood up by January.
Work on that body was initiated by the Queensland Council of Social Services (QCOSS) under the previous Labor government, but Camm said the Queensland Domestic Violence Services Network (QDVSN) would now be taking over.
Camm said the previous process would have delivered a body by the end of 2029, but the government now plans to have it operational in a few months.
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The minister thanked QCOSS for their contribution, but said the work could be done more quickly by working with a “specialised sector”.
“This is bringing forward and prioritising victim survivors in Queensland,” she said.
QDVSN co-convenor Stacey Ross said the network had been voluntarily run for two decades and this was the first time it had been properly resourced.
In a statement, QCOSS said domestic and family services save the lives of women and children every day, and they were supportive of government continuing the work to set up a peak body.
“We look forward to supporting QDVSN in carrying this work forward,” the statement said.
A study into the possible misidentification of domestic violence perpetrators that will work simultaneously to the launch of on the spot police protection directions in 2026 was also announced.
“It has been raised time and time again both by victim advocates and victim survivors, about the issue of misidentification,” Camm said.
Camm said there was not enough data to conduct a study before the directives were implemented.
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