Tuesday the 25th of March 2025
Victorian Member of Parliament Rachel Payne is calling on the Allan government to set-up a taskforce to tackle family violence in Melbourne’s South-East, given the area has the highest rates in the state.
Ms Payne said a taskforce is a specialised team with the job of finding solutions to a crisis.
“In Parliament I called on the Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Natalie Hutchins to establish the South-East Family Violence Taskforce immediately,” Ms Payne said.
Highest rate of family violence in Metropolitan Victoria
“Casey, as a Local Government Area, has the highest rate of family violence in Victoria, and Frankston and Dandenong are also in the top 10.
“Last year, police conducted a five-month family violence blitz in the south-east which saw 2,700 people arrested.
“I want women on a south-east taskforce who have survived family violence and can give government and their agencies direction on how to make a real difference.
“Police usually respond once a family has experienced violence, they are rarely able to prevent violence or address the causes of family violence – the triggers and stresses within families, such as cost of living pressures or intergenerational violence.
“Often families have a history of violence, people who commit violent acts often grew up in homes where this behavior was acceptable, or in homes where women were spoken to with disrespect, and their financial independence was curbed.
“A taskforce would help break the cycle of abuse and instead nurture inclusive and supportive communities that reject family violence.
Community responsibility to call out harmful behaviours
“We want children to know that they deserve a home life free of violence. Friends and colleagues need to know they have a role in supporting women who are subject to manipulation, coercion, lies and monitoring.
“Men need to know that it’s vital to call out behavior of peers that degrades women.
“It’s a complex problem, which requires a multipronged solution and that’s why we need a taskforce of experts, and the people with the most valued expertise are women who have exited situations of family violence and rebuilt their lives.
“They have an intimate understanding of this problem.”
Ms Payne said Casey Council had a Gender Equality Taskforce, which had done great work preventing violence against women, but a dedicated taskforce would have a direct line to state government.
“Members of the taskforce could speak to their south-east experiences, reporting on what is working, which services are lacking and how they can support police and government departments,” she said.
“Victim-survivors can offer police, support agencies, and Members of Parliament real-world solutions. We need to stop the family violence epidemic of the South-East.”
Resources:
> Establish a family violence taskforce – Rachel Payne
> Rise in family violence intervention order breaches – Rachel Payne
> Family Violence Intervention Order Breaches – Rachel Payne
> Gendered Violence Accountability – Rachel Payne
> Gendered Violence staffing in Victoria – Rachel Payne
> Violence against women is preventable – Rachel Payne
External:
> Family violence | Department of Justice and Community Safety Victoria
