Star-studded line-up of DV experts to tackle NQ’s crisis of violence
The lawyer who represented the family of murdered Brisbane mother Hannah Clarke is one of five members of a new expert panel tasked with steering Queensland’s domestic violence reforms.
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The lawyer who represented the family of murdered Brisbane mother Hannah Clarke is one of five members of a new expert panel tasked with steering Queensland’s domestic violence reforms.
Solicitor Kelli Martin joins the newly established Domestic and Family Violence Advisory Panel, which met for the first time in Townsville on Monday.
The star-studded panel includes former police officer and specialist trainer Elise Feltham, First Nations legal service chief executive Wynetta Dewis, DFV researcher Associate Professor Heather Lovatt, and practitioner-academic Dr Brian Sullivan.
Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Minister Amanda Camm said the panel would shape policy from the ground up.
“This panel will be critical in offering practical advice backed by their extensive experience in working with victims and perpetrators,” she said.
Panellists used their first meeting to raise urgent questions about how little funding goes toward addressing perpetrator behaviour.
“Less than 10 per cent of all DFV funding goes to rehabilitation or support services for those using violence. Unless we shift that over the next three years, we’ll just be chasing our tail,” Ms Camm said.
Ms Camm said the panel had also flagged concerns around the lack of evaluation for perpetrator programs, particularly group-based therapy, and raised issues around waitlists, program effectiveness, and regional gaps in service delivery.
“They’ve validated that we need to evaluate what’s on offer, where the gaps are, and how funding is being used,” she said.
“That insight arms me to take real issues back to Cabinet and my Director-General to break down silos across government.”
The panel also discussed tailored responses for First Nations communities.
“We cannot copy and paste Brisbane’s model into the Torres Strait or the Gulf,” Ms Camm said.
“Their advice ensures our reforms don’t miss the mark.”
Ms Camm said the advisory group marked a shift away from the “tick-and-flick” approach, with her department now restructuring to consolidate investment across child safety, domestic violence, youth, and disability under one directorate for the first time in decades.
“This gives us a powerful opportunity to deliver truly joined-up prevention and early intervention,” she said.
Housing pledge takes shape
Twenty-four new social and affordable homes are under construction in Rasmussen under a housing partnership between the state government and Indigenous housing provider Yumba-Meta.
Townsville builder Martin Locke Homes has been contracted to deliver 20 studio apartments and four one-bedroom units due for completion this year.
The development forms part of a 52-home pipeline Yumba-Meta is delivering in the city with state support, including another 24 units and two duplexes.
More than 140 social and affordable homes are currently underway or contracted across North Queensland.
Housing Minister Sam O’Connor is set to officially announce the project on Tuesday.
Mr O’Connor said the partnership with Yumba-Meta was crucial in tackling the region’s housing crisis, particularly for First Nations people.
“Our partnership with Yumba-Meta is delivering safe, secure and affordable homes for First Nations people,” he said.
“Alongside delivering more supply, we’re also meeting with remote and discrete councils to explore home ownership models thatreflect the aspirations of Indigenous communities.”
All homes will be built to “gold” accessibility design standards, with step-free entry points, wide hallways and easy-access bathrooms.
Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Fiona Simpson criticised Labor’s housing record, claiming it had failed to maintain critical infrastructure and services in remote Indigenous communities.
“The former Labor government’s legacy on Closing The Gap is sitting back and watching the disadvantage gap widen in key areas, as remote communities were forced to boil water to drink,” she said.
“Housing is critical to foster positive outcomes for Indigenous children, so we are promoting home ownership through 99-year leases for social housing dwellings.”
The LNP matched the former Labor government’s ambitious housing goal, vowing to deliver 53,500 new social and community homes across Queensland by 2044.
Work is also underway to roll out a rent-to-buy scheme for Palm Island, aimed at improving home ownership in one of the state’s most disadvantaged communities.
Originally published as Star-studded line-up of DV experts to tackle NQ’s crisis of violence
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