Submissions Library

This submission was prepared by Dr Nicole Milburn, Mr Julian Pocock, Mr Matthew Wilson, Ms Fleur Ward, and Associate Professor Campbell Paul on behalf of the Tweddle Foundation. The Tweddle Foundation supports the work of Tweddle’s Nursing, Mental Health and Early Parenting Clinicians.

This submission outlines how “the implementation of a Specialist Infant Court in all Children’s Courts throughout Victoria would reduce the rate of permanent removal of First Nations children from their families and moreover, would support more First Nations babies and toddlers being reunited earlier with their families and into their strong and proud culture, where they belong.”

This submission offers a Whole of Government response to the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s two Issues Papers on systemic injustice experienced by First Peoples in the Victorian criminal justice and child protection systems.

The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission is an independent statutory authority with functions under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic). The role of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission is to protect human rights, to promote fair treatment for all Victorians, and advocate for a diverse and inclusive state.

This submission provides an overview of the current situation in Victoria with respect to protections against race discrimination by public authorities, under the Equal Opportunities Act. The submission then provides a summary of existing protections against race discrimination by public authorities across other Australian jurisdictions. The submission concludes that should Victoria seek to strengthen protections against race discrimination by public authorities under the Equal Opportunities Act, there are appropriate models for reform we may look to within Australia.

The Koorie Youth Council is the representative body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people residing in the state of Victoria.

This submission focuses on the systemic injustices experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people who are involved with – or have been impacted by – the criminal justice system and child protection system in the state of Victoria, both historically and contemporarily.

The SAFeST Start Coalition are a coalition of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous researchers, health professionals and community members.

This submission outlines the coalition’s responses to issues including: the connection between colonisation and contemporary systemic injustice experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in the child protection system; rates of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander infant removal and placement in outof-home care in Victoria, specifically relating to infants (aged under 1); case studies which demonstrate systemic injustice during the perinatal period within the child protection system; examples of good practice that should be adopted or expanded to address systemic injustice; and identification of critical recommendations which have not been accepted or properly implemented.

The Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency is the lead Aboriginal child and family support organisation in Australia and the largest provider of Aboriginal family violence, justice support and homelessness services in Victoria.

“This submission is an attempt to synthesise an evidence-based narrative of the learnings and experiences our clients have shared with us over the history of our organisation. The desired outcome of all the recommendations we make within this submission is the self-determination of Aboriginal Victorians. While our evidence documents difficult truths and facts of historical, contemporary and emerging issues within Victoria’s child protection and justice systems; we also provide evidence and data on what works for Aboriginal Victorians now and into the future.”

MacKillop is a national provider for child and family services. In 2020/2021, MacKillop supported more than 10,000 disadvantaged and at-risk children, young people and families throughout metropolitan and regional Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, Northern Territory and the ACT.

This submission examines the over representation of Aboriginal children in the child protection system. It offers support for self-determination, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, and the Family Matters campaign. It also highlights a number of promising programs and practice.

The Aboriginal Justice Caucus is made up of all the Aboriginal signatories to the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement and includes Chairpersons of each of the nine Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committees, representatives from statewide Aboriginal justice programs, Aboriginal peak bodies and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations. The Aboriginal Justice Caucus provides statewide representation and leadership to amplify Community voices in all areas relating to justice.

This submission focuses on systemic injustice in the criminal legal system and identifies urgent reforms required at points of intersection between the criminal legal and child protection systems.

The Victorian Aboriginal Children and Young People’s Alliance consists of 15 Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations that provide out of home care, child, youth and family services. The Alliance’s purpose is to be the collective voice of Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations working together to empower Aboriginal children, young people, and families.

This submission examines and makes reccomendations relating to: First Peoples’ self-determination in design, decision-making and implementation of law, policies and programs affecting First Peoples children and families; compliance with legislation and policy, including human rights considerations and the application of the Children, Youth and Families Act; The adequacy of programs and funding to support prevention and early intervention; Workforce issues in the child protection system including turnover, training, and qualifications; and the adequacy of support services provided to First Peoples children and families engaged with the system and post ‘care’.

The Human Rights Law Centre is an independent, not-for-profit, non-government organisation that uses strategic legal action, policy solutions and advocacy to support people and communities to eliminate inequality and injustice and build a fairer, more compassionate Australia.

This submission examines the reforms needed to: overcome barriers to change within the system; reimagine current system; transform the youth legal system; end mass imprisonment; hold police to account; end human rights abuses behind bars; and strengthen the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act.