Tasmanian Aboriginal Family Safety Services

25/06/2026

18/06/2026

NAIDOC POSTER COMPETITION!

We look forward to seeing your artistic skills.
Great prizes up for grabs.

16/06/2026

How many women are missing from our femicide statistics?

When we talk about femicide, we usually think about homicide.
A woman killed by a current or former partner.
A life taken in a single act of violence.

But what about the women who spend years living under coercive control, threats, intimidation, isolation, financial abuse and psychological violence?

What about the women who die by su***de after enduring years of abuse?

Emerging research is challenging us to rethink what counts as femicide.

Some experts describe these deaths as "slow femicide", the cumulative impact of violence that gradually strips away safety, hope, health and wellbeing until death becomes the outcome.
Research from Victoria found that almost one in four people who died by su***de had experienced family violence.
In New South Wales, Domestic Violence Death Review data found that almost half of female su***des had a recorded or apparent history of domestic and family violence.
Yet most of these deaths are not counted in our domestic violence statistics.
They are not counted as femicide.
They are often not investigated through a domestic and family violence lens.

For Aboriginal women, these conversations are even more important.
The impacts of domestic and family violence do not occur in isolation. They intersect with intergenerational trauma, racism, poverty, housing insecurity, child removal concerns, barriers to culturally safe services and ongoing systemic disadvantage.
We cannot prevent what we refuse to see.
If violence contributes to a woman's death, whether through homicide or through years of coercive control that leaves her believing there is no way out, then we need to be asking harder questions.

Who gets counted?
Who gets overlooked?
And what would accountability look like if we recognised the full toll of violence against women?
The conversation about femicide must include the deaths we cannot always see.

Because every woman counts.

16/06/2026

While many will celebrate today's outcome, spare a thought for the communities still waiting for action.
The Minister for Women and the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence portfolio will now be handed to another Minister who will need to learn the brief, build relationships and understand the issues. Every reshuffle comes with a cost. Time is lost. Momentum is lost. Community confidence is tested.
Women experiencing violence cannot put their lives on hold while governments reorganise themselves.
What Tasmania needs now is continuity, commitment and a clear focus on delivering the outcomes that have been promised for years.

: Racing Minister Jane Howlett has resigned from Tasmania's cabinet, saying attacks over her handling of a TasRacing election text had become a distraction for the minority Liberal government.

Her exit came a day after a parliamentary committee heard sworn evidence casting doubt on her repeated claims that neither she nor her office knew about the 2025 campaign message promoting the Liberals' TasInsure policy.

Howlett said the "relentless personal and political attack" could not continue, while Labor and the Greens had demanded she quit over claims she misled parliament.

Howlett will remain the member for Lyons and said she would keep serving the electorate with "dedication, hard work and determination".

09/06/2026

Sadly, we only had one offer of support when we put the call out a few months ago, so I’m reposting to see if we can gather more interest and connections

Community Call Out, Brokerage Support Network

We are looking to connect with organisations, services and businesses who may be willing to assist Aboriginal families when urgent support is needed.

Our work is currently delivered on a volunteer basis. At times we are supporting families who require immediate practical assistance. This can include things like:

• Emergency accommodation
• Travel for safety or essential appointments
• Food or basic necessities
• Short term support while families stabilise

We are not seeking to collect donations or hold funds.

Instead, we are hoping to build a small network of organisations and services that we can refer families to for brokerage support when situations arise.

This may include organisations that already provide:
• Emergency accommodation
• Travel assistance
• Food relief or vouchers
• Practical crisis support

If your organisation offers services like this, or if you would be open to being contacted when urgent needs arise, we would appreciate hearing from you.

The aim is simply to strengthen the network of supports available to Aboriginal families when they need help most.

Please email [email protected] if you would like to be part of this referral network.

02/06/2026

Join us for our Elders Kipli & Yarn

📍 Nipaluna/Hobart
Port Arthur Lavender Farm
🗓 Tuesday 23 June | 12:00 pm

📍 Launceston on Kanamaluka/River Tamar
Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm
🗓 Friday 26 June | 12:00 pm

📍 Pataway/Burnie
Anvers Chocolate Factory Café
🗓 Tuesday 30 June | 12:00 pm

📞 Please RSVP by calling your local TAC Reception or Jordan on (03) 6234 0757.
⏰ RSVPs close one week prior to each event.

02/06/2026

OUR BIGGEST ANNOUNCEMENT YET!

The countdown begins! Flip the V**e Week starts in two weeks – and it's going NATIONAL!

From 15-21 June... are you ready?

**e

01/06/2026

FAMILY SAFETY INFORMATION

Australia’s new emergency warning system, AusAlert, will begin community testing in selected locations between 10 and 21 June 2026, with a national test scheduled for 2:00pm AEST on 27 July 2026.

Some alerts, known as Critical Alerts, may sound even when a device is on silent or Do Not Disturb.

For many people this will be an important safety feature. For some people experiencing domestic and family violence, an unexpected alert may create additional safety concerns.

If receiving an alert could place you at risk, consider planning ahead by:

• Turning your device off before the scheduled test
• Placing your device in aeroplane mode before the scheduled test
• Checking connected devices such as smart watches, tablets, children’s devices and vehicle systems
• Reviewing your personal safety plan

Silent mode and Do Not Disturb may not prevent a Critical Alert from sounding.

If you are concerned about how this may impact your safety, consider speaking with a domestic and family violence support service or worker before the national test.

Please share this information with anyone who may benefit from knowing about these upcoming changes.

30/05/2026

As Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month comes to a close, one thing is clear.

Awareness alone does not create safety.

Over the past month, we have spoken about:

The realities of domestic and family violence
The impact on Aboriginal families
The importance of cultural authority and community-led responses
The need for system reform and accountability

These conversations matter.
But they must lead somewhere.

The national plan Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices sets a long-term direction grounded in self-determination, healing and structural change.

That work does not end in May.

It continues in:

Policy decisions
Funding priorities
Service design
Everyday actions across community and systems

The Tasmanian Aboriginal Family Safety Service remains committed to building a response that is:

Community-led
Policy-aligned
System-accountable

Because safety is not a campaign.
It is something that must be built, sustained and experienced.

27/05/2026

Ending domestic and family violence is not only the responsibility of systems.

It is something we all have a role in.

That role looks different depending on where you stand.

In community:

• Check in with people you trust
• Listen without judgement
• Respect boundaries and safety

In the workplace:

• Build understanding of coercive control and trauma
• Respond with care, not assumptions
• Advocate for culturally safe practice

In leadership and systems:

• Support Aboriginal-led solutions
• Push for accountability and reform
• Ensure decisions reflect lived experience

You do not need to have all the answers.

But awareness must lead to action.

Small actions build safer environments.
Stronger actions build safer systems.