Foreword

He aha te mea nui o te ao?
He tangata!
He tangata!
He tangata!

What is the most important thing in this world?

It is people!
It is people!
It is people!

Family violence is a major issue affecting the lives of far too many New Zealanders and creates significant social and economic costs for society as a whole.

Building a society where families/whanau are living free from violence requires a comprehensive, multi-faceted and co-ordinated approach, an investment in long-term strategies, and a continued effort to maintain progress.

In September last year I released the Review of Family Violence Prevention in New Zealand: Plan of Action. The plan of action set out a range of strategies to address the key issues and gaps in family violence prevention identified by an extensive literature review, four community workshops, interviews with key informants and written submissions from family violence prevention networks. The Government then tasked the Family Violence Focus Group – an expert advisory committee made up of government and non-government organisations – to use the plan of action to develop a five-year implementation strategy for the Government to consider.

It is now my pleasure to present the New Zealand Family Violence Prevention Strategy. The strategy captures the essence of the plan of action, provides the detail for achieving the family violence reduction goal of the Government’s Crime Reduction Strategy and builds on the previous Government Statement of Policy on Family Violence. It sets out the Government’s key goals and objectives and a framework for action for maximising progress toward the vision of families/whanau living free from violence. The strategy also establishes a set of principles that will guide the implementation process and any future approaches to family violence prevention.

The strategy has been developed by government and non-government agencies working together in partnership. There has also been significant input from a wide range of individuals and different sectors in the communities. I would like to acknowledge everyone’s valuable contributions. Continuing and building on these relationships are integral to achieving the strategy’s vision, goals and objectives.

This Government is strongly committed to ensuring that the New Zealand Family Violence Prevention Strategy is successfully implemented over time and to eliminating family violence in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Steve Maharey
Minister of Social Services and Employment