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Domestic Violence Special Adviser

Published on: September 2025

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-157336

Domestic Violence Special Adviser

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (12:00:47):

My question is directed to the Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Senior public servants say the work the Minister gave Karen Webb as her special adviser on domestic violence "has already been developed and has been considered by the taskforce". Why are New South Wales taxpayers paying someone $170,000 for work that has already been done?

Ms JODIE HARRISON (CharlestownMinister for Women, Minister for Seniors, and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault) (12:01:23):

— I thank the member for North Shore for her question. The premise is incorrect. The work of the domestic and family violence Common Approach to Risk Assessment and Safety, or CARAS for short, is ongoing. The framework has been developed, but now the implementation work needs to be done. Retiring Commissioner Karen Webb has dedicated 38 years to the NSW Police Force, from the front line through to the highest possible rank. Her passion to drive down the rates of domestic and family violence is long held, both throughout her career and in the work she is doing now. I first met Ms Webb in her first week as commissioner. I sat next to her at a breakfast and was extremely impressed by her knowledge and her passion to deal with the scourge of domestic and family violence.

CARAS, which is what Ms Webb is working on, was developed through extensive consultation with both government and non-government experts, service providers and people with lived experience in New South Wales. This year's budget has $3.6 million to begin implementation of this early intervention safety framework. That is a fact on the table for the member. As would be expected, there were discussions about the most appropriate projects that Ms Webb could consult on. The development of the CARAS framework was concluding and the department was moving into the next, and arguably more challenging, phase of critical thinking about effective implementation. Careful consideration of implementation is critical for such a significant reform, which has to engage not only the specialist domestic and family violence workforce but also diverse workforces and organisations.

This was a wonderful opportunity for a short-term deep dive into how we would get this phase right. It was the obvious choice for a three-month project that would take advantage of retiring Commissioner Webb's expertise and unique insights into domestic and family violence. The perspective Ms Webb brings to it will ensure that the implementation of the newly developed CARAS is well informed by the experiences and lessons learned in other jurisdictions. Due to the gravitas that Ms Webb brings, with her experience of 38 years in the Police Force, she has consulted with other States and Territories that have rolled out similar frameworks, including the governments of Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. I am impressed with the work she is doing. This Government is impressed by the work she is doing. The member for North Shore ought to back her.