State probes should feed into royal commission

STATE inquiries should feed into the proposed national royal commission on child sexual abuse, a leading child advocate says.

STATE inquiries into child protection and allegations of cover ups should feed into the proposed national royal commission on child sexual abuse, a leading child advocate says.

Bravehearts' executive director Hetty Johnston said inquiries in Queensland, Victoria and one proposed in NSW should be allowed to run their course ahead of the national inquiry.

"The findings of all those inquiries could inform the national royal commission," she said.

"The royal commission itself is going to be so huge it will probably need to be staged anyway.

"If we're going to apply common sense to all of this then those inquiries probably wouldn't report until such time as those [other] inquiries were complete."

She said it was important not to duplicate effort but the national overview was important for victims.

"It's hope," she said.

"Most people disclose - right across the board, generally speaking - not for themselves, not for compensation, but to make sure the person who hurt them doesn't hurt other people."

In April the Victorian government established a parliamentary inquiry into the handling of abuse allegations by church and other non-government organisations. Two months later the Queensland government created the broad-ranging Child Protection Inquiry into the efficiency and efficacy of the system, and also the historic mishandling of allegations of abuse in state-run facilities.

Last Friday NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell announced a special commission into the police's investigations into abuse by Catholic priests in the Hunter Valley area.

Yesterday Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said he wanted to work with the federal government so "our current inquiry may continue on appropriately and the federal inquiry may also do its job".

"We do indeed trust the terms of reference will provide the broad focus that is needed," he said.

"The Prime Minister stated that she will be consulting with myself and other premiers in the coming days to discuss how the royal commission should relate to any current inquiries that are underway.

"I look forward to hearing from the Prime Minister and those discussions."