Page 4011 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 22 October 1991
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our community in the domestic violence area. The ACT is indeed fortunate in the quality and range of services that it has available in this most difficult area and in the dedicated and capable staff who run these services.
The Domestic Violence Crisis Service is arguably the linchpin of the government strategy for dealing with domestic violence. Its primary functions are to provide crisis intervention, support and assistance in the home of victims, and information about and referrals to legal, medical, counselling and other appropriate services.
The police have also developed working arrangements to deal quickly and effectively with domestic violence incidents. A major contributor to the police's effectiveness in what are recognised to be particularly dangerous situations is the close working arrangement that they have with the Domestic Violence Crisis Service, both in respect of training and education and in the actual handling of incidents.
The role of other agencies, too, must be acknowledged - the rapid and flexible response of the Housing Trust in providing dwellings to women fleeing domestic violence, the crisis accommodation services and the range of counselling and practical assistance provided by both community and government agencies.
The safeguards contained in the Domestic Violence Act have led to the amendment of the Magistrates Court Act to enable protection orders similar to those under the Domestic Violence Act to be issued for persons at risk of violence in non-domestic circumstances. Thus, in the ACT, court-mandated protection is now available to cover every susceptible member of the community.
The recommendations of the committee with regard to domestic violence are very much a reflection of the current situation in the ACT, and the ACT leads the country in measures designed to eliminate domestic violence. This Government recognises, however, that there are still shortcomings in the administration of the law, which must be addressed.
To this end, the Government announced in September this year the establishment of a broad-ranging review of domestic violence laws by the Community Law Reform Committee. The committee has been given wide terms of reference to ensure that all community concerns are addressed, with full community participation in the review process. Overall, the report's recommendations are wide ranging, and many of the initiatives undertaken in the ACT over recent months dovetail closely with the intent and principles espoused by the report.
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