Page 4557 - Week 12 - Thursday, 26 October 2017
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• Children, Youth and Families, Community Services Directorate;
• Policy and Regulatory Division, Justice and Community Safety Directorate; and
• The Office of the Victims of Crime Coordinator.
The Family Violence Intervention Program is made up of two core initiatives – a coordinating committee and weekly case tracking meeting program. The FVIP Coordinating Committee works to identify and implement reforms across agencies in the ACT to meet the objectives of the FVIP. This committee is represented by senior staff from key partner agencies. The Victims of Crime Commissioner performs the role of Chair of the Coordinating Committee and Victim Support ACT provides secretariat support. FVIP case tracking is a weekly interagency meeting that seeks to provide coordinated responses to family violence matters that come to the attention of police and proceed to prosecution.
In 2012, the ACT Family Violence Intervention Program Review was undertaken in order to describe the effectiveness of the program including its governance arrangements. The review showed that throughout its operation, FVIP agencies have implemented a range of practices to improve the criminal justice system response to family violence. The review also found that the breadth of services provided by FVIP agencies contributes to the perceived safety and protection of victims of family violence, and that FVIP is effective in establishing relationships between agencies and ensuring they work cooperatively.
Stronger criminal justice responses
On 4 May 2016, the Family Violence Evidence in Chief (FVEIC) provisions commenced. The provisions allow police records of interview to be admitted as evidence in chief for family violence and all sexual offences. These laws recognise the vulnerability and impediments faced by victims when criminal prosecutions are undertaken in a family violence matter. The legislation has enabled ACT Policing to gather the best evidence as soon as practicable after the alleged family violence offence has occurred. The ACT is only the second Australian jurisdiction to implement this important reform. Analysis with regard to the effectiveness of FVEIC is underway.
Criminal justice responses also have been strengthened through an injection of $1.36 million over four years to enable the Director of Public Prosecutions to improve its ability to respond to criminal matters related to domestic and family violence.
Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders—grants programs
(Question No 600)
Mr Milligan asked the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, upon notice, on 25 August 2017:
(1) When will the Seed Funding Grants be made available.
(2) What is the purpose of the grants.
(3) Who will be able to apply for the grants.
(4) What happened to the Seed Funding Grants, then called the Indigenous Enterprise Development Grants, from last year’s budget.
(5) When will the criteria for grants be released.
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