The freshly-released exposure draft of the Family Law Amendment (Family Violence) Bill 2010 is welcome, according to CQUniversity's Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research Director, Heather Nancarrow.

Ms Nancarrow welcomed the announcement by Attorney-General Robert McClelland, saying the draft amendments would address ongoing problems with the application of the Family Law Act in regard to the safety of children, and their mothers, affected by domestic and family violence.

Heather Nancarrow

"However, as raised by the National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children in its report, Time for Action, there are further issues with the interaction between the Federal Family Law system and state and territory child protection and domestic violence laws and policy still to be addressed," she said.

"This was the subject of a joint investigation by the Australian Law Reform Commission and the NSW Law Reform Commission established by the Attorney-General as recommended by the National Council. The ALRC and NSWLRC presented their report to the Attorney-General on 10 October 2010, and that report (Family Violence-A National Legal Response) will be launched by the Attorney-General in Sydney today."

Ms Nancarrow was Deputy Chair of the National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, which concluded its work in May 2009. She is currently Deputy Chair of the national Violence against Women Advisory Group.