Submissions

Read our submissions on policy and law reform relating to issues affecting children and young people in Victoria

Our key submissions are listed below in reverse chronological order. Please note that we regularly make submissions in relation to draft legislation that are Cabinet in Confidence and that we are unable to publish.

Date Organisation  Topic 
24 May 2024

The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP, Minister for Social Services

Exclusion of children and young people from the Leaving Violence Payment (ANZCCGA letter)
27 October 2023

UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children

Submission to contribute to preparations for country visit
20 July 2023

Department of Health

Victoria's strategy towards elimination of seclusion and restraint
16 June 2023

Independent Review Panel, NDIS Review

Further submission to NDIS Review on Participant Safeguarding
10 February 2023

Independent Review Panel, NDIS Review

Submission to the NDIS Review
8 December 2022

Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Submission to Senate inquiry into missing and murdered First Nations women and children
15 November 2022

Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

Submission to Reportable Conduct Scheme Review
6 September 2022

Department of Health

Submission to Victorian suicide prevention and response strategy

Cover letter
5 May 2022

Fiona Patten MP

Inquiry into children affected by parental incarceration
2 May 2022

Department of Education and Training

School Community Safety Order Scheme Ministerial Guidelines
7 April 2022

Department of Justice and Community Safety

Statutory Review of the Children and Justice Legislation Amendment (Youth Justice Reform) Act 2017
21 March 2022

The Hon. Martin Foley, Minister for Health

Independent Pandemic Management Advisory Committee
24 February 2022

Department of Social Services

Submission to the Draft National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032
2 February 2022

Department of Education and Training

School Community Safety Order Scheme Ministerial Guidelines
6 December 2021

Department of Justice and Community Safety

Cultural Review of the Adult Custodial Corrections System
12 November 2021

The Hon. Martin Foley, Minister for Health

Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (Pandemic Management) Bill 2021
29 October 2021

Department of Justice and Community Safety

Consultation – Victim-Centred Restorative Justice Program
23 September 2021

The Honourable R.M.J. Clarke MLA, Parliament of Western Australia

Statement on the role of Aboriginal commissioner
22 August 2021 Parliament of Victoria Legal and Social Issues Committee (Legislative Council) Submission to Inquiry into Victoria's criminal justice system
11 August 2021 Department of Justice and Community Safety Submission on improving victims' experience of summary criminal proceedings
7 July 2021 Department of Health Submission on a new pandemic-specific part in the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008
10 June 2021  Department of Justice and Community Safety Submission to Review of the Terrorism (Community Protection) Act 2003: Stage Two
23 April 2021 Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability Submission on violence and abuse of people with disability at home
12 February 2021 Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Submission to Commonwealth consultation on Automatic Mutual Recognition Scheme
29 January 2021 Victorian Law Reform Commission Submission on Improving the Response of the Justice System to Sexual Offences
21 December 2020 Department of Premier and Cabinet Submission on Victorian Youth Strategy: contributions from Victorian Young People
30 September 2020 Parliament of Victoria Public Accounts and Estimates Committee

Submission to Inquiry into the Victorian Government's response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Enclosure: Safety snapshot, Mental health snapshot, Education snapshot

27 July 2020 Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor

Submission to consultation: Monitoring the Family Violence Reforms

Attachment: Speech by the Principal Commissioner,  Neither seen nor heard: Elevating children in our response to family violence (3 December 2018) 

20 July 2020

Parliament of Victoria Legal and Social Issues Committee (Legislative Council)

Submission to Inquiry into Homelessness in Victoria

Annexure A - Jess' story

Annexure B - Archibald's story

17 March 2020 Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability

Cover Letter (PDF, 434kb)
General Submission (PDF, 3.1mb)
Inclusive Education Submission (PDF, 4.3mb)

28 February 2020 Council of Attorneys-General

Submission to the Age of Criminal Responsibility Working Group (PDF, 1.44mb)

6 December 2019 Parliament of Victoria Legal and Social Issues Committee (Legislative Assembly)

Submission to inquiry into anti-vilification protections (PDF, 999 kb)

15 July 2019 Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System

Submission to the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System (PDF, 792kb)

1 May 2019 Submission to the review of Victoria's Child Safe Standards

Submission to the Department of Health and Human Services: Review of Victoria's Child Safe Standards (PDF, 583kb)

27 March 2019 Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet

Royal Commission into Violence, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (PDF, 481kb)

13 March 2019 Corrections Victoria Corrections Regulations 2019
5 March 2019 Productivity Commission Submission to Productivity Commission's Inquiry into Mental Health (PDF, 235kb)
17 January 2019 Department of Premier and Cabinet Submission on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into Mental Health (PDF, 1.1mb)
10 January 2019 Department of Home Affairs National Public Register of Child Sex Offenders (PDF, 631kb)
26 November 2018 Department of Education and Training Review of restraint and seclusion policy 
21 September 2018 Australian Human Rights Commission Submission to second AHRC consultation on OPCAT (PDF, 2.7mb)
10 July 2018 Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee
Youth justice – unlawful association legislation (PDF, 2.54mb)

18 June 2018 Independent National Security Legislation Monitor Review of the prosecution and sentencing of children for Commonwealth terrorist offences (PDF, 903kb)
21 May 2018 Scrutiny of Acts and Legislation Committee Preventative detention (PDF, 104kb)
16 March 2018 Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission Submission to review of Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act (PDF, 284kb)
28 July 2017 Australian Human Rights Commission
Submission to first AHRC consultation on OPCAT (PDF, 216kb)

2 May 2017  Joint Standing Committee on Migration
Inquiry into migrant settlement outcomes (PDF, 3mb)


20 January 2017
Department of Education and Training
Education and Training Reforms Regulation and Regulatory Impact Statement (PDF,  2mb)
20 January 2017 Victorian Ombudsman
Investigation into expulsions of students from Victorian public schools (PDF, 1.8mb)

16 January 2017 Australian Law Reform Commission
Inquiry into the incarceration rate of Indigenous Australians (PDF, 91kb)

31 October 2016

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

Criminal Justice (PDF, 6.2mb)
29 September 2016
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
Forced Marriage (PDF, 186kb)
23 September 2016 Victorian Law Reform Commission Review of the Adoption Act 1984 (PDF, 713kb)
4 July 2016  National Children's Commissioner
Review of the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) in the context of youth justice centres (PDF , 4.7mb)

27 June 2016 Department of Education and Training
Education and training reform regulations (PDF, 5mb)

11 May 2016

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse 

Best practice principles in responding to complaints of child sexual abuse in institutional contexts (PDF, 1.5mb)
15 April 2016 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse  Institutional responses to child sexual abuse in out-of-home-care (PDF, 4.3mb)
26 April 2016 Family and Community Development Committee Inquiry into services for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (PDF, 1.4mb)
 21 March 2016 Department of Education and Training LOOKOUT Education Support Centres (PDF, 2.6mb)
10 March 2016  Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications Harm being done to Australian children through access to pornography on the internet (PDF, 2mb)
28 January 2016 Attorney-General's Department  Equivalency of standards for expatriate adoption (PDF, 1mb)