Submission Family Violence Discussion Paper April 2026

Submission to the review of the Tasmanian Family Violence Act 2004

Drawing on Anglicare Tasmania’s extensive frontline experience across housing, community, and family support programs, this submission identifies gaps in Tasmania’s legislative, policy and practice responses that undermine the safety and wellbeing of victim-survivors of domestic and family violence, including children.

This submission argues that:

• the scope of the Family Violence Act 2004 (the Act) should be broadened to include young people under the age of 16 in intimate partner relationships, children as victim-survivors in their own right, and a broader range of relationships
• advancing the implementation of the cross-agency risk assessment framework is critical for victim-survivor safety and must progress as a priority
• current justice responses do not always protect victim-survivors of domestic and family violence and co-responder models should be considered
• systems abuse is common, with significant impacts on victim-survivors’ financial circumstances and housing stability. Anglicare Tasmania supports national recommendations for an audit of state systems to identify and address systems abuse
• housing is a critical aspect of Tasmania’s family violence response, requiring a stronger focus on affordable housing for victim-survivors.