Attorney General, Guy Barnett, said the Government has a strong agenda to keep victim-survivors safe and ensuring perpetrators are held to account.
"Our Government is committed to actions that prevent and end family violence and support and empower those who are experiencing it," the Attorney said.
"We released the 'Strengthening our Responses to Family Violence in Tasmania: Family Violence Act 2004 and Related Legislation Discussion Paper' for targeted and public consultation, which closed in April this year.
"The Discussion Paper's release was an important part of the Government's commitment to continuously evaluate and improve responses to family violence. It started a community-wide conversation about where further action should be taken.
"The first tranche of changes includes nation-leading reforms, showing our Government's steadfast commitment to tackling family violence.
"We will be modernising the offence of economic and emotional abuse to more effectively capture the patterns and behaviours associated with coercive control, alongside extending the statutory limitation period.
"We will also be working to establish a family violence offender levy, which will be paid by family violence offenders and see funds directed to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund to support victim-survivors.
"This nation-first levy recognises that not only are there massive human costs for victim-survivors, but there are often financial costs for those fleeing family violence.
"The initial changes are practical changes we can deliver now to strengthen the legislative response to family violence."
The proposed reforms will:
- Clarify the Family Violence Act 2004 to more effectively capture the patterns of behaviours in the coercive control provisions;
- Extend the statutory limitation period for the coercive control provisions to two years - because many victim-survivors find it difficult to report within the current one year statutory timeframe;
- Encourage the reporting of family violence by extending the reporting protections under the Family Violence Act so people who report any type of family violence to police will be protected from civil or criminal liability;
- Improve protections for victim-survivors living in rental properties by amending the definition of family violence in the Family Violence Act to ensure the behaviour of perpetrators damaging rental properties and other objects owned by victim-survivors counts as family violence;
- Improve the operation of the Serial Family Violence Perpetrator declarations in the Family Violence Act by allowing courts to vary or extend declarations, rather than having to issue multiple declarations;
- Strengthen criminal law responses by clarifying the strangulation offence in the Criminal Code Act 1924 by defining key terms and including a recklessness element. A new mirror summary offence will also be introduced to the Police Offences Act 1935 to ensure less severe examples of this conduct is correctly identified and recorded;
- Extend the 'Failure to report offence', under section 105A of the Criminal Code, for persons who fail to report the abuse of a child, where the person knows or believes on reasonable grounds a child has been strangled;
- Expand the existing provisions regarding jury directions in the Criminal Code to clarify how and when judges are to direct juries about common reactions to family violence offending in matters involving family violence offences; and
- Amend the Victims of Crime Compensation Act 1994 to establish a new family violence offender levy to be paid by family violence offenders with funds being directed to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund to support victim-survivors.
"The Government would like to thank all stakeholders who took the time to make a submission during this round of consultations, to help ensure these important reforms are balanced with community expectations."
Minister for Women and the Prevention of Family Violence, Jane Howlett said reducing and eliminating family and sexual violence is a priority for the Tasmanian Government.
"We want all Tasmanians to be safe, equal and respected, living free from family violence," Minister Howlett said.
"Our Government is already investing in initiatives to help address this. The 2026-27 Tasmanian Budget includes $82 million to strengthen the prevention of family violence and expand support for women across the State.
"The investment builds on Tasmania's whole of government approach, strengthening prevention, early intervention and recovery services that are already making a difference in communities.
"We're backing programs that stop violence before it starts, supporting women early, and building safer futures for families and communities across Tasmania."
It is expected a draft Bill will be available for public consultation in late July.
