Staying home, staying safe: the value of domestic violence protection order provisions in homelessness strategies

General Overview:This article specifically discusses the so-called ‘exclusion’ or ‘ouster’ orders which are authorized by Australian state and territory legislation addressing domestic and family violence.

These orders contain conditions preventing perpetrators of violence from approaching or coming into the home where the victim lives, and also allow court-ordered changes to residential tenancy agreements which are required to make exclusion orders effective where victims share rented accommodation with defendants who are leaseholders.

The states and territories vary in their utilisation of the orders and reasons for this are examined. The need for a supportive service system is also discussed and the integrated response to domestic violence in the ACT is commended as is Tasmania’s whole-of-government response.