Year

What

Why

2026

Review of the interagency arrangements for family violence and sexual violence prevention [PDF, 266 KB]

In December 2025, the Executive Board decided to undertake a review of interagency arrangements. The purpose of the review was to look at the current needs for the family and sexual violence prevention system, and consider what kind of structures, capabilities and leadership would meet that need. A summary of findings and resulting decisions was released in June 2026.

Ministerial Advisory Group announced

Sexual Violence Workforce Capability Frameworks(external link)

Outcomes and Measurement Framework – second monitoring report(external link)

The second monitoring report for Te Aorerekura Outcomes and Measurement Framework gives a high-level view of the current state of each outcome, primarily focusing on changes to measures since the first monitoring report. This report includes new measures and updates where improved data is now available.  

Risk and Safety Practice Framework (RSPF)

The safety and wellbeing of people, whānau, and families is everyone’s responsibility. Reducing risk and enabling safety requires a whole-of-community response and a capable, coordinated system working together to protect victim-survivors and promote the accountability of people using violence.

Action Plan 2025-2030 

In December 2024, the Government launched the second Te Aorerekura Action Plan. This continues the implementation of the 25-year strategy, with an Action Plan that will guide the work of government agencies through to 2030.  

Outcomes and Measurement Framework (OMF)(external link)

Defines national outcomes and the indicators that will be used to measure progress to implement the shifts in Te Aorerekura – the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence. The OMF will support government and public understanding about progress, to help shape planning and investment.    

Second Annual Te Aorerekura Hui(external link)

721 people registered to attend the Hui, in-person or online. The Hui theme was Ako tahi: Learning together.   

Budget 2023(external link)

Delivering our first family violence and sexual violence Budget package as an Executive board – $74.5m. Half of the Family Violence and Sexual Violence package is going toward initiatives that will help address service gaps for disabled people, tamariki and rangatahi, and tangata whenua. 

Expert Advisory Group for Children and Young People established

 To design child and youth participation in Te Aorerekura.

Love Better Youth Campaign(external link)

Formal launch of the national primary prevention campaign for young people (16-24-years-old) aimed at fostering safe, positive, and equal relationships 

2023

Investment in ICR - Cyclone Gabrielle

Investment into Community Lead Solutions to support and enhance community-based responses to family violence by providing funding for initiatives from the ICR Learning and Implementation Funds including $1 million in relational commissioning funding to whānau impacted by or at risk of family violence and sexual violence following the floods and cyclone 

Budget 2022(external link)

Invests $114.52m over four years to strengthen collective action to prevent and respond to family violence and sexual violence. The package of initiatives is distributed across four broad areas:

• supporting the delivery of primary prevention
• building specialist and general workforce capability to ensure the right response every time
• supporting and expanding integrated community-led responses

empowering communities and the sector to participate in change.

Areyouokay.org.nz(external link) and Inyourhands.org.nz(external link)

Formal launch of the Family Violence Online Help Tools for people impacted by violence (areyouok.org.nz) and for people who have used violence (inyourhands.org.nz) 

First Annual Te Aorerekura Hui(external link)

Te Puna Aonui Ministers and officials hosted the first annual Hui for Te Aorerekura alongside key community and sector stakeholders. On each day of the Hui there were more than 500 people attending from government, tangata whenua, communities and specialist sectors across Aotearoa.

The Joint Venture becomes Te Puna Aonui(external link) 

This change matures the joint way of working for government agencies, and enabled Te Puna Aonui to administer the appropriation 'Eliminating Family Violence and Sexual Violence.'

Tangata Whenua Ministerial Advisory Group (Te Pūkotahitanga) appointments are made (external link)

12 members are appointed, with Dr. Maria Baker as Chair. They have a significant role in creating family violence and sexual violence systems and supports that are governed and led by, and for, tangata whenua in the best interests of their whānau, hapū, iwi and all communities.

2022

Family Violence Workforce Capability Frameworks(external link)

Minister Davidson and the Joint Venture launched the Specialist Family Violence Organisational Standards (SOS) and the Entry to Expert Family Violence Capability Framework (E2E).

Sexual Violence Legislation Act 2021(external link) 

This law aims to improve the Court system and make it safer for people who have suffered sexual violence to seek justice. The law:

• allows survivors to give evidence via pre-recorded video 
• only allows a survivor’s sexual history to be discussed if the judge deems it highly relevant

requires judges to intervene to dispel any rape myths brought into evidence, and intervene in questions they consider unacceptable.

Budget 2021(external link)

The Minister announced funding of $1.578 million in total would be allocated to support a range of community-led violence prevention initiatives. This funding will go towards Community Advisory Groups, LGBTQIA+ centred violence prevention initiatives, expanding the Safeguarding Adults from Abuse response in Waitematā, new violence prevention initiatives for migrant communities, and Age Friendly Fund, and greater capacity for diverse communities to engage with Joint Venture agencies.

The Joint Venture is established as an Interdepartmental Executive Board(external link)

This is to better enable collaborative responses, clear roles and responsibilities across Joint Venture agencies in order to deliver Te Aorerekura.

Tangata Whenua Ministerial Advisory Board (Te Pūkotahitanga) established(external link)

The Minister announced the establishment of this group, which will provide the Minister with independent advice on family violence and sexual violence.

Te Aorerekura - National Strategy for the Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence(external link)

The Joint Venture worked together to engage on and develop the National Strategy, which was launched in December. From May to June 2021 nationwide engagement with tangata whenua and a range of communities resulted in:

• 120 tangata whenua-, sector- and community-led hui involving more than 2000 people
• 1000 online, email, written and survey-based submissions; and

Over 260 women impacted by violence who participated in an independent survey run by The Backbone Collective(external link)

Budget 2020(external link)

Provided $183 million with a significant focus on funding family violence services. It also invested in services focused on children affected by violence (and their families), reflecting cross-agency advice and initiatives developed by the Joint Venture. This included a joint initiative by Police and Oranga Tamariki, funded from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.

Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence role established (external link)

In a historic first, Marama Davidson was appointed to the role - a new Ministerial position outside of Cabinet - under a cooperation agreement between the NZ Labour Party and the Green Party.

Te Hau Tangata(external link)

Interim Te Rōpū delivered their report to guide the national strategy to the family violence and sexual violence Ministers. The temporary term of the Interim Te Rōpū ended in June 2020.

Review of 2014 Family Justice Reforms(external link) and Te Uepū Hāpai i te Ora (the Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group)(external link)

Both reviews signal changes needed in the way government responds to family violence and sexual violence.

Budget 2019 (external link)

Successful in obtaining investment of $320.9 million over 4 years with a significant amount going to sexual violence services, and was also distributed across the following initiatives:

• Increasing investment in prevention
• Improving the Justice response to sexual violence victims
• Safe, consistent and effective responses to family violence in every community
• Growing essential specialist sexual violence services

The Joint Venture Business Unit.

Joint Venture Business Unit established

Joint Venture Director, Fiona Ross, was appointed in 2019 to establish a Joint Venture Business Unit and develop a national strategy to address family violence and sexual violence in New Zealand.

Domestic Violence Victim's Protection Act 2018(external link)

This bill adds legal protections in the workplace for people affected by
domestic violence. The Act gives employees affected by domestic violence the rights to get paid domestic violence leave, ask for short-term flexible working, and not be treated badly at work because they might be affected by domestic violence.

Interim Tē Rōpū established(external link)

To work in partnership with the Crown and enable the Joint Venture to incorporate Māori-focused solutions and aspirations for reducing family violence and sexual violence.

Budget 2018(external link)

Funded the establishment of the Joint Venture, and supported family violence services and networks. Family violence services get $76m (50% increase for MSD providers)

Joint Venture is established(external link)

The purpose was to help agencies provide a whole-of-government approach to violence, and work with each other, with tangata whenua, communities and the wider family violence and sexual violence sectors. 

Family Violence Act 2018(external link)

Recognises and gives better guidance about the nature and impact of family violence, stopping and preventing the use of violence, and keeping people – including children – safe. Names 10 government agencies and a range of social service practitioners as ‘Family Violence Agencies’ and provides a set of shared principles to guide decision making to support consistent, appropriate and timely response for all. 

Under-Secretary for Domestic and Sexual Violence role created(external link)

Jan Logie is appointed as an Under-Secretary to the Minister of Justice, with a focus on domestic and sexual violence.

Budget 2017 (external link)

Incorporated family violence law reform, Integrated Safety Response (ISR) pilots, whānau-centred family violence intervention, and E Tu Whānau(external link).

Workforce Capability Framework(external link) and Risk Assessment and Management Framework(external link)

Tools for the collective workforces to respond to family violence and sexual violence were developed by specialists from the sectors and government. 

Multi-Agency Team (MAT) established(external link)

Government agencies Justice, Police and Social Development were brought together to take an integrated, joined-up approach to family violence and sexual violence.

Family Violence Summit(external link)

Opportunity for people across the sector to come together and build on the conversations to date about breaking the patterns of family violence and working together effectively. Outcomes from the Summit informed the work of the Ministerial Group.

Sexual Violence Courts Pilot(external link)

The District Court ran a Sexual Violence Pilot Court in Auckland and Whangarei, implementing 'Best Practice Guidelines'.

Family and Whānau Violence Bill (external link)

This bill implements the decisions announced by the Government aimed at breaking the pattern of family violence and reducing the harm and cost inflicted on those who suffer violence and wider New Zealand society, including increasing access to risk and needs assessments and services, more accurately recording family violence offending in the criminal justice system, enabling the introduction of codes of practice, and new information sharing provisions.

Police Whāngaia model(external link)

Whāngaia Ngā Pā Harakeke is a national framework where police, iwi and qualified kaiāwhina work in partnership to attend to and reduce family harm.

Budget 2016(external link)

Spending approved for new frontline services, including sexual violence.

ISR Pilot Evaluation(external link)

Feedback and evidence received showed that ISR delivered improved service response and made a positive difference for families and whānau.

ISR Pilots approved(external link)

Cabinet approved pilots in Christchurch and Waikato. The purpose of the ISR pilots was to take a whole-of-family and whānau approach to support adults and children impacted by violence to improve their safety, and people who use violence to prevent further harm.

Progress of Ministerial Group(external link)

This paper reported progress on the work of the Ministerial Group on Family Violence and Sexual Violence and sought agreement to the proposed cross-government family violence work programme and endorsement of its sexual violence work programme. 

Review of Domestic Violence Act 1995(external link)

The changes will improve how we respond to family violence to keep victims safe and stop perpetrators using violence. The reforms span the civil and criminal law and are designed to ensure the law is forward looking.

Chief Victim’s Advisor role established(external link)

 Dr. Kim McGregor is appointed as the first Chief Victim's Advisor, providing independent advice to the Minister for Justice.

ACC - Sensitive Claims service(external link)

A multi-pronged effort to evolve and strengthen the way survivors of sexual abuse and assault are supported. 

Ministerial Group on Family Violence and Sexual Violence established(external link)

Cabinet launched a cross-government work programme involving 16 Ministers, co-chaired by the Minister of Justice and Minister of Social Development.

The People’s Blueprint – Glenn Inquiry(external link)

Proposes initiatives and reforms required for a better system that addresses family violence in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Expert Advisory Group on Family Violence Recommendations(external link)

Expert Advisory Group is tasked with providing independent strategic advice to the Government to assist in determining key priority actions to address family violence.

Family Violence Death Review Committee(external link)

Describes the response to family violence within Aotearoa New Zealand as isolated ‘islands of practice’, calling for an integrated approach.