Ensure the Statewide Family Violence Action Plan includes a primary prevention strategy

Free from Violence: Victoria's Strategy to prevent family violence and violence against women is a key priority in Ending Family Violence: Victoria's Plan for Change (10 Year Plan), and builds on the foundations of Victoria's Gender Equality Strategy, Safe and Strong.

The strategy takes a systemic and whole-of-community approach to address the harmful social norms influencing the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that drive and contribute to family violence and violence against women: and establishes the long-term foundations required to achieve these changes.

Extensive co-design and consultation with the Ministerial Taskforce on Family Violence Prevention and other forms of Violence Against Women (the Ministerial Prevention Taskforce), family violence reform professionals and other key stakeholders has been undertaken. This includes representations from the broad Victorian population through key governance groups, including the Aboriginal Family Violence Co-design Forum; the Victims Survivors' Advisory Council; Diverse Communities and Intersectionality Working Group; and the LGBTI Taskforce.

Additional working groups, research and consultation has taken place to inform the development of Free from Violence, including on outcomes and measurements, behavioural insights, cultural and social norm change, funding and economic modelling, and universal service delivery and design.

In May 2017, Victoria's first prevention of family violence and violence against women strategy – Free from Violence was launched in alignment with the first Rolling Action Plan.

It is supported by a range of products and communications materials; with implementation of the strategy continuing to be supported by the Ministerial Prevention Taskforce and other key family violence governance forums.

Implementation of Free from Violence is informed by its five key priorities for action, which include 'building prevention structures and systems', 'scale up and building on what we know', 'innovate and reform', 'research and evaluate' and 'engage with the community'

As the above actions are complete this recommendation is implemented. In addition work is currently underway to ensure that Victoria’s Primary Prevention Strategy is overseen and supported by Australia’s first dedicated, funded and enduring Family Violence Prevention Agency.

Funding from the 2016–17 State Budget was provided to develop the strategy and further funding from the 2017–18 State Budget will ensure that initial actions to implement the strategy can be undertake.

Implemented.