11/09/2026
This week, Tasmania took important steps towards making our community safer for victim-survivors of family and sexual violence.
Throughout the debate on Tasmania’s fi****ms legislation, we heard members from across the Parliament speak about family violence, coercive control, the use of fi****ms to threaten and intimidate, and the need to recognise risk before violence reaches crisis point.
We saw that recognition translate into changes to the legislation.
Several amendments reflecting issues TFSVA and the family and sexual violence sector have advocated for were supported, including strengthening the ‘fit and proper person’ test to better recognise patterns and precursors of family violence and coercive control, considering the risk posed by other people within a household, recognising the use of fi****ms to threaten harm, and extending the consideration period for family violence offences from five to ten years.
These are big wins.
They mean our fi****ms laws will better recognise something victim-survivors and specialist services know: a fi***rm does not need to be fired, or even directly threatened, to be used as a tool of fear, intimidation and control.
We acknowledge the members of Parliament, across parties and the crossbench, who spoke about these realities, listened to the evidence of victim-survivors and the specialist sector, and supported stronger family violence protections.
Having a Parliament willing to talk openly about coercive control and prioritise the safety of victim-survivors is promising. We look forward to continuing to work with Parliament to ensure a family violence lens is at the forefront whenever legislation has the potential to impact the safety of women, children and victim-survivors.
There is much more work to do. But ending family and sexual violence will happen through changes like these. Evidence being heard, lived experience shaping decisions, risks being recognised earlier, and our systems becoming safer one reform at a time.
Big wins can come from small steps.
And every step towards a safer Tasmania matters.
