Government launches new plan for reducing family and sexual violence

A new plan focused on reducing family and sexual violence has been released by the government.

The launch of the second Te Aorerekura Action Plan for the prevention of family violence and sexual violence on Sunday was hosted by Karen Chhour, as Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence. She was supported by the Police Minister Mark Mitchell and the Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston.

Te Aorerekura - the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence - is a 25-year strategy designed to achieve intergenerational change.

"Three years into the Strategy, this second Action Plan is another important milestone in the life of Te Aorerekura. It builds on progress under the first Action Plan to focus agencies' collective efforts on practical improvements to keep people safe," Chhour said.

"It will also help stop violence, through better services for people who use violence and accelerate progress on investing and commissioning services, that we know will work.

"The Action Plan also provides for improvements to protect children and young people, strengthen workforces, take action on sexual violence, and expand primary prevention.

"These focus areas require deeper collaboration across government to deliver change. Ministers want to see government agencies working more closely together."

Police Minister Mark Mitchell said a central focus for this Action Plan was the improvement of multi-agency responses to violent incidents.

"The Action Plan has a focus on strengthening the way all agencies work together, especially on the ground, in the community.  And they need consistent support from central government to make sure we get effective responses, that suit local conditions."

Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston also welcomed the second Action Plan: "Te Aorerekura and its Action Plans give us our best chance of achieving change to address these complex issues together, focused on what works.

"Through a social investment approach, government will be better able to prioritise investments that deliver positive impact for those most at risk of family violence and sexual violence."

However, Labour said it was unclear how successful the government had been in it's plan to reduce family and sexual violence rates.

Labour's prevention of family and sexual violence spokesperson Ginny Andersen said she was unsure how much progress the minister had made thus far.

"What she's failed to do is report back on what has been delivered under the first Te Aorerekura strategy.

"There were clear action points and deliverables under that that have not been done by this government and her media release today is silent on those."

The party said they were also concerned the government's new plan meant a cut back to prevention services.

Anderson said the plan sounded like a cost-cutting exercise.

"They want to use social investment as a money saving tool. The words in press the release, 'through a social investment approach the government will better be able to prioritise investment that deliver for those most at risk of family violence.'

"That's a red flag," Andersen said.

The government will review family and sexual violence spending across agencies and review what services are needed to stop and prevent violent behaviour.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.