The Queensland Government has established a new independent panel which it says will advise on reforms to strengthen responses for survivors of domestic and family violence and hold perpetrators to account.
The domestic and family violence (DFV) advisory panel is comprised of professionals with extensive experience and diverse backgrounds including policing, legal, academic, and support services.
The panel is set to play a critical role by offering practical advice on government policy and how reform already underway will operate within the DFV system, said Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Amanda Camm.
“This panel will be critical in offering practical advice backed by their extensive experience in working with victims and their dealing with perpetrators throughout their careers,” Minister Camm said.
“We have introduced the first tranche of changes to reform the domestic violence system to ensure that we are better protecting victims and holding perpetrators to account.
“We need to ensure our systems are fit for purpose, so that all Queenslanders have access to services that meet their needs, no matter where they live.
“Every day, services take critical on-the-ground action to prevent and address the devastating effects of domestic and family violence, but to improve our responses we need to see greater collaboration to help keep Queenslanders safe.”
The first meeting of the advisory panel was held in Townsville yesterday, with the group set to meet four times a year to identify priorities.
Members appointed to the DFV Advisory Panel are:
Wynetta Dewis
Ms Dewis (pictured, left) is the CEO of the Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service. A proud Torres Strait Islander woman, Wynetta has more than 25 years’ of experience in management and project management roles. She is also the chair of the First Nations Advocates Against Family Violence, the national peak body for family violence prevention legal services, and Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Group.
Kelli Martin
Ms Martin is a solicitor, business leader and social justice advocate, and has predominantly worked in family and criminal law after being admitted as a legal practitioner to the Supreme Court of Queensland and High Court of Australia in 2008. She is a former board director for the Red Rose Foundation and actively works to end domestic and family violence.
Elise Feltham
Ms Feltham (pictured, right) has more than 17 years’ experience in policing and was the founding officer-in-charge of the Domestic and Family Violence and Vulnerable Persons Unit, Townsville District. She has extensive knowledge in integrated service responses. In 2022, Ms Feltham testified at the Domestic Violence Commission of Inquiry, and was seconded to the Domestic and Family Violence Command in Brisbane. She worked in a specialised training team, developing and delivering new domestic and family violence training packages for police officers statewide. The team received the Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in 2024.
Brian Sullivan
Dr Sullivan has worked in the domestic and family violence sector nationally and internationally, as practitioner, academic and consultant for 25 years. He is a member of the Coroner’s Domestic and Family Violence Death Review and Advisory Board and the Queensland Police Service Domestic and Family Violence Advisory Group. He is also a former CEO of the Red Rose Foundation, senior lecturer at CQUniversity, and practice manager of the Responsible Men’s Program at Youth and Family Service in Logan. Dr Sullivan is also the Founder of Sicura, providing education, training and support for domestic violence intervention professionals.
Heather Lovatt
Associate Professor Lovatt has been the director of the Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research (QCDFVR) at CQUniversity since 2018. She has an extensive background in human services and has led a diverse range of gendered violence projects, spanning education, sector development and research.
