Qld: new Domestic and Family Violence Council Named

Qld: new Domestic and Family Violence Council Named

Heather Nancarrow

Communities Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr has named the committee to advise her about domestic and family violence issues for the next two years, all of whom I am sure richly deserve recognition:

Members of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Domestic and Family Violence are:
• Heather Nancarrow – Chair
• Christine Nichols – Cape York representative
• Jeanette Kairupan-Vellis – Torres Strait Islander representative
• Ken Georgetown, – Urban Indigenous representative
• Rae Kelly – Rural and Remote Indigenous representative
• Amanda Lee-Ross – Far North Queensland
• Shirley Slann – North Queensland (Deputy Chair)
• Suzanne Gould – Mackay/Whitsunday
• Kathleen Garle – Fitzroy/Central West Queensland
• Verelle Cox – Wide-Bay/Burnett
• Paul Tuxworth – Darling Downs/South West Queensland
• Amy Stockwell – Moreton
• Lee Prince – Sunshine Coast
• Amy Stephenson – Greater Brisbane
• Donna Justo – Gold Coast

Heather Nancarrow is an outstanding candidate and I am sure will be excellent as chair. Heather has worked for as long as I can remember in the domestic violence sector, both in the community and in the public sector. More recently, she has headed theQueensland Centre for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence in Mackay.

The only people I know on the Council are Amy Stephenson and Donna Justo. Amy is very much involved with womens refuges. Donna has had a long and distinguished career as a women’s advocate over many years, including attending international conventions, and has a long involvement with DV services on the Coast.

Congratulations to all- well deserved!

Request an Appointment
Fill in the form below to find out if you have a claim.
Request an Appointment - Stephen Page
Things to Read, Watch & Listen

Surrogacy lawyer explains upcoming ALRC reports

Australia is approaching an important moment for family and fertility law. By the end of July 2026 and during August 2026, the Australian Law Reform Commission, or ALRC, is expected to deliver two major reports to Commonwealth Attorney General Michelle Rowland. One report will address surrogacy law. The other will examine Australia’s human tissue laws.… Read More »Surrogacy lawyer explains upcoming ALRC reports

Overseas surrogacy births now recognised in Australia

For years, the recognition of parents through overseas surrogacy has been unnecessarily uncertain. Australian intended parents could return home with a child, a foreign birth certificate and a foreign court order, yet still face questions about whether Australian law recognised them as parents. That position changed on 1 April 2025. It may be April Fool’s… Read More »Overseas surrogacy births now recognised in Australia

Do children have a say in parenting cases? Lawyer explains

In Australian parenting cases, children can have a say. That much is clear. But the more accurate answer is that yes, children’s views matter, but the weight given to those views depends on the individual child and the circumstances of the case. That is often where confusion starts. Many parents assume a child can simply… Read More »Do children have a say in parenting cases? Lawyer explains

Family Law Section Law Council of Australia Award
Member of Queensland law society
Family law Practitioners Association
International Academy of Family Lawyers - IAFL
Mediator Standards Board