Everyone has the right to live their life free from violence. Despite this, levels of family violence are disturbingly high. The impact of family violence is particularly devastating: it damages the physical and mental health of the people who experience it, and it has significant short and long term negative impacts on children.

The Tasmanian government is serious about our responsibility and will prioritise the safety and wellbeing of those affected by family violence, particularly women and children. We will invest in family violence prevention and early intervention, as well as holding perpetrators to account.

Safe Homes, Safe Families, Tasmania’s Family Violence Action Plan 2015-2020 (the Action Plan), provides a coordinated approach to respond effectively to the issues associated with family violence.

We acknowledge that our plan will evolve to take account of the work being done across Australia to address family violence. We will draw upon advice from the Australian government’s Advisory Panel to Reduce Violence Against Women, the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence when its findings are released and the Senate Inquiry into Domestic violence in Australia.

The action plan recognises that the government cannot prevent family violence on its own, everyone has a role to play. The increased focus on family violence at a national level and in the media, our workplaces and local communities provides a good starting point for strong government leadership and action.