ACT deputy chief minister Yvette Berry has called for domestic violence leave and secure funds for crisis housing as leaders continue to tackle the nation's "insidious" family abuse epidemic.
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Ms Berry will urge radical cultural change and policy reform when she addresses federal and state ministers at the national summit in Brisbane which is aimed at reducing violence against women and children.
"State and territory governments can't address this on our own, we just can't, and we need a federal government that's going to push this from now on," she said.
The summit will review progress on Australia's family violence prevention plan and focus on key areas for reform including technology-facilitated abuse, impacts on children and the court system.
Ms Berry said there were some key elements of national policy which didn't meet the aspirations set out in the latest phase of the national plan to reduce violence.
She said the ACT government had joined states, including Victoria and South Australia, in calling for reforms to national workplace laws to make domestic and family violence leave a mandatory provision in all employment contracts.
"The change would follow the inclusion of this leave entitlement in both Victorian and ACT public sector employment agreements."
She also wanted to see secured funding under the national partnership agreement on homelessness, which provided vital financial support to homelessness services for people who had left violent homes.
The ACT government announced in June it would appoint a family safety co-ordinator-general, create a dedicated family safety "hub", reform laws and bolster training for frontline workers in response to three reports urging an overhaul of fragmented and flawed domestic violence strategies to better protect victims.
The reforms came off the back of a $21 million family violence package announced in this year's ACT budget, the bulk of which would be funded by an annual $30 levy on all households.
Ms Berry would tell leaders Canberra was leading the way with its "unprecedented" investment in a far-reaching domestic violence response.
"Like everyone we are seeking to meet the demand for crisis housing, health and legal support but also to try and swing the pendulum back through prevention and early intervention."
The new family safety co-ordinator-general is expected to be announced as soon as next week.
Ms Berry said her team had thousands of conversations with voters in the lead-up to this month's territory election and yet "the issue of domestic violence stayed largely hidden".
"ACT crisis services have seen two, three, four-fold increases in demand and I know this is repeated across the country.
"But in the life of our community this insidious problem remains often invisible."
Ms Berry said dedication, leadership, money and time were needed to achieve necessary and radical cultural change around family violence, which she said rated among the great struggles for gender equity.
"We are seeking to alter the way Australians think and act in their homes."
If you or someone you know is impacted by domestic or family violence, call the ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service 24-hour crisis line on 6280 0900. In an emergency, call 000.
