They have been through unquestionably dark times, but a new group is allowing domestic violence survivors to turn that darkness into light.
Since June, the Resound: Voices of Experience group, whose members have lived through domestic violence, have used their insights to help inform law makers and government.
Micah Projects submission to the Queensland Governments' Transport Operations (Road Use Management) (Offensive Advertising) Amendment Bill 2016
The Bill’s objective is to minimise the amount of offensive advertising on Queensland registered vehicles to enforce the Advertising Standards Board (ASB) determinations.
There is a major shift in national and international standards and action aimed at tackling violence against women and girls. The evidence is unequivocal: disrespect and sexual objectification of women and girls is a major contributing factor to the persistent sexual and physical violation of women and girls by men (National Plan, 2010; Queensland Special Task Force on Domestic and Family Violence, 2015).
This is action that Micah Projects wholeheartedly endorses. We commend the Transportation and Utilities Committee for this opportunity to provide feedback on the Bill.
"We need to build on work that has been done to turn around the shameful legacy of decades of failures of child protection systems under many governments."
Radio interviews by ABC RN’s Nance Haxton and 612 ABC's Spencer Howson on the success of Inclusive Health's Pathways Program.
"It costs the state government more to keep a person chronically homeless than it costs to provide permanent supportive housing to end homelessness, our recent research shows," Cameron Parsell, Research Fellow, homelessness, social welfare, and poverty, The University of Queensland
Over a 12-month period, people who were chronically homeless used state government funded services that cost approximately A$48,217 each. Over another 12-month period in which they were tenants of permanent supportive housing, the same people used state government services that cost approximately A$35,117.
In addition to removing the legal barrier preventing people who have suffered child sexual abuse from claiming damages in court, the Palaszczuk Government has released an Issues Paper to seek stakeholder and community interest in broader civil litigation reform.
"My own circumstances have been distinctly grim since I left the force but as dark as some of those days have been, they have no parallel with those forced to endure the pain and suffering of sexual abuse." Denis Ryan
"What makes it worse and haunts my dreams to this day, is that if we as a police force did what were we were supposed to do, what we were charged to do, what we took an oath to do, so much of that pain and suffering would not exist today." Denis Ryan
West End-based Micah Projects, with help from US organisation Community Solutions, wants to flip the model by focusing on getting homeless people into housing above all else, instead of treating them for other problems to get "housing ready" while dealing with the added stress of nowhere to live.
The Palaszczuk Government will ensure greater access to justice for victims of child sex abuse in institutions, by removing the legal limit which can hamper their ability to make claims for damages.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said legislation to remove the statute of limitations for victims of child sexual abuse in institutions, such as schools, will be introduced to Parliament this month.
Domestic violence victims will now have an easier path to find a new place to live after new legislation was announced today.
Ms Fentiman said the new legislation would allow victims of domestic violence to make an application to clear their name from being black-listed by real estate agents.