2 September 2025

‘Today’s new family and sexual violence plan is an important step in Victoria’s work to end family violence, but more is needed to stop violence at the source’, according to Phillip Ripper, CEO of No to Violence, Victoria’s peak body for people and organisations committed to ending men’s use of family violence.

Mr Ripper said ‘too much of Victoria’s response to men using family violence is happening too late, once violence has escalated’.

‘To improve the safety of victim-survivors we urgently need to expand the availability of tailored, effective programs for men to end their use of violence. That means a significant increase in investment in responses to people using family violence’.

Today’s release of Until every Victorian is safe: Third rolling action plan to end family and sexual violence 2025 to 2027 marks a significant milestone in Victoria’s 10-year strategy to prevent and respond to family and sexual violence. The third and final action plan outlines 106 actions to get closer to achieving a future where all Victorians are safe, thriving and living free from family and sexual violence. The strategy was a key response to Victoria’s landmark Royal Commission into Family Violence and has been a powerful vehicle to drive increased responses to family violence across the state, but the job is not finished yet.

Mr Ripper welcomed the Victorian Government’s commitment to increase access to programs and services for people using violence to support behaviour change, increase accountability, and increasing victim-survivor safety. But these, he said, need to be accompanied by an enormous increase in available intervention places and systemic reform to ensure people using violence to be better identified and referred into specialist services much earlier.

As powerfully highlighted in the Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council statement, “People who use violence are not routinely identified or held accountable. Governments, institutions, service providers and the community together need to do this.”

‘Serious systems gaps remain. We need to deepen not only our work to end the ability of men using violence to weaponise government systems, we need to do more to strengthen our systems. This means a sustained focus on continuously improving key reform areas particularly through enhanced assessment and evaluation of MARAM and information sharing schemes, and strengthening The Orange Door’s capacity to engage and refer people using violence to appropriate services.’

‘Only through coordinated, collective accountability can we effectively stop family violence.’

“There have been many successes in the first 10-years since the Royal Commission handed down its report and recommendations, but more needs to be done in the next 10 years. We look forward to working with the Victorian Government and sector colleagues to ensure effective implementation of the Action Plan.” Mr Ripper concludes.

For interviews, please contact Rebecca Buys at rebeccab@ntv.org.au or 0415 268 106.

About No to Violence  

No to Violence is the Australian peak body for organisations and individuals committed to ending men’s use of family violence.  We support specialist men’s family violence services and operate the national Men’s Referral Service, a 24/7 telephone and online counselling and referral service to link men to the support they need to get on a pathway of change and end their use of family violence.  We undertake research, training and advocacy and work with governments, employers and business to stop family violence at the source.

Please list the Men’s Referral Service with all Domestic, Sexual and Family Violence stories

• Men’s Referral Service, provides counselling and referrals for men who are concerned about their behaviour: 1300 766 491