DVDRT report highlights NSW Government's significant action to address domestic violence

Tuesday 20 December 2022

The NSW Government has acted to implement in whole or in part the vast majority of recommendations made by the Domestic Violence Death Review Team (DVDRT) over the past decade, according to a new report by that advisory body led by the State Coroner.

Attorney General Mark Speakman and Minister for Women’s Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence Natalie Ward said the DVDRT’s 2019-21 Report which has been tabled in Parliament, shows the government has supported, or supported in principle, 119 of the 122 recommendations made by the DVDRT since 2010. 

Of those 119 recommendations, 49 have been implemented, 15 have been adopted via an alternative practice approach and 48 are partially implemented.

The DVDRT’s report concludes that “the Team is encouraged by the fact that work has either been completed, or is progressing, on the vast majority of its recommendations. This demonstrates that the Team, the Government and other organisations are for the most part collaborating effectively to create and achieve reforms that are enhancing the domestic violence response in NSW.”

Mr Speakman said that the DVDRT’s report demonstrates that the NSW Government has delivered significant reforms, in response to its recommendations, to support victim-survivors and make our NSW community safer from domestic and family violence.

“Just last month, in a national first, the NSW Liberal National Government legislated a stand-alone offence for coercive control, a landmark reform that will save lives,” Mr Speakman said.

Minister Ward said the report highlights the NSW Government’s record of working effectively with the domestic and family violence sector to make the lives of people in NSW safer.

“Over the last two years the NSW Government has spent more than $700 million supporting victims, intervening early and preventing domestic violence from the outset.”

“The important work of the Domestic Violence Death Review Team has provided a critical, evidence based approach which has informed our record investment and legislative reforms.”

The DVDRT was set up in 2010 to examine domestic violence-related deaths with the aim of reducing the incidence of deaths and recommending system and service improvements.