Beyond Redress: Supporting Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
A National Forum to shape priorities for the future
As the National Redress Scheme enters its final phase, the Beyond Redress Forum will provide an opportunity to reflect on the progress achieved over the past decade and to consider the work that remains ahead. It will explore the larger questions: What permanent legacy should remain after Redress? and What reforms should be prioritised next?
Bringing together survivors, sector leaders, policymakers, international guests and Australian experts, the Forum will explore the legacy and ongoing relevance of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and its recommendations. Discussions will focus on the extent to which the Royal Commission’s vision has been realised, the lessons learned through the operation of the National Redress Scheme, and most importantly, the priorities that should guide future reform to ensure survivors continue to receive access to justice, support and recognition beyond the life of the Scheme.
The forum will be a hybrid event, allowing people from all over the country to join online, or to be part of our face-to-face gathering in Parliament House, Canberra.
Video
Program
Welcome
Welcome to Country Welcome and Opening Address, by Jackie Mead, Knowmore CEO
The Promise: What did we hope the Royal Commission would achieve?
Video Address by Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard What We Hoped for: The Promise of the Royal Commission The Vision Behind the Recommendations, by Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald
The Report Card: What progress have we made?
Audience Poll #1: Looking Back The Royal Commission Report Card
Justice and Emerging Harm: What remains unfinished and what new challenges have emerged?
What Does Justice Look Like After Redress? The Harm We Didn't Anticipate: Peer on Peer Abuse and Emerging Risks, by Dani Villafana The Harm We Didn't Anticipate: Intergenerational Harm
The Next Generation: What do children need now?
What Children Need Now: Aboriginal Children's Rights, Voice and Justice Have Child Safe Reforms Changed Institutions PANEL: Ten Years On. What Have We Learned?
International Lessons: What can Australia learn from other countries?
Lessons for Australia from around the world, including New Zealand
The Next Decade: What should Australia build next?
Audience Poll #2 - Looking Forward What We Heard Today, by Chris Coombes, Gary Oliver and Jackie Mead
Speakers
Jackie Mead - Knowmore Chief Executive Officer
Jackie Mead is an experienced leader in the community sector with a strong background in human resources, people and culture, and extensive formal education. She was CEO of SANDS, led its successful merger with Red Nose Australia, and has also held leadership roles with SANE while working closely with First Nations teams and services. Jackie additionally serves in a range of voluntary and advisory positions, including Board Member and Chairperson roles.
Gary Oliver - Knowmore Director, First Nations Engagement
Gary, a Kuku Yalanji man from Far North Queensland, joined Knowmore in March 2023 as its first Director of First Nations Engagement. He has more than 30 years’ experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including leadership roles in legal assistance and advocacy. His previous positions include CEO of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, CEO of the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), and Board Member of Save the Children Australia.
Chris Coombes - Knowmore Lived Experience Lead
Chris is the Lived Experience Lead with Knowmore Legal Service. Chris supported the creation of Knowmore's wonderful Lived Expertise Advisory Panel, which Chris co-chairs with Aunty Glendra Stubbs AO. Chris is currently an Expert Advisory Group member to the Attorney-General's Department, working on sexual violence law reform. Chris has a master's in social policy and used a redress payment to study a Masters of Human Rights Law. Chris' more serious credentials came from surviving the criminal legal system, redress, victims of crime and restorative justice. Chris is now fluent in paperwork and passionate about teaching organisations to be truly trauma-informed and survivor-led.
Julia Gillard - Former Prime Minister
Julia Gillard was the 27th Prime Minister of Australia and the first, and only, woman to serve in that role. Since leaving office, she has dedicated her time to advocacy, governance roles, and writing. In 2021, Julia was appointed Chair of Wellcome, a global charitable foundation based in the UK, which supports science to solve urgent worldwide health challenges. Julia is also the founder and inaugural Chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL) at King's College London and Chair of its sister Institute at the Australian National University. GIWL strives for a world where being a woman is neither a barrier to becoming a leader in any field, nor a contributor to negative perceptions of an individual’s leadership. In 2014, Julia joined the Board of Beyond Blue, one of Australia’s foremost mental health awareness bodies, and served as Chair from 2017 to 2023. As a life-long advocate for increasing access to education, especially in developing nations, Julia was Chair of the Global Partnership of Education from 2014 to 2021. She also led the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care in South Australia which concluded in August 2023. Julia wrote ‘My Story’, a memoir based on her experience as Prime Minister. Her second book, ‘Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons’, co‑authored by Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, explores the challenges women face in leadership. Her third book, Not Now, Not Ever – 10 years on from the misogyny speech, was released in October 2022.
Robert Fitzgerald AM - Former Commissioner, Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
Robert Fitzgerald AM was appointed as Age Discrimination Commissioner with the Australian Human Rights Commission in April 2024. Robert is committed to reducing ageism in our society and service systems, and addressing discrimination experienced by people of all ages. A lawyer by profession, he was the inaugural NSW Ageing and Disability Commissioner, having served as a Commissioner on the Royal Commission into the Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. He has been extensively involved in safeguarding for children, people with disability and older persons including as NSW Community and Disabilty Services Commissioner. He was previously an Australian Productivity Commissioner and conducted numerous national inquiries including into the Not for Profit Sector, Care of Older Australians and the Australian Health Workforce. Robert was the inaugural Chair of the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission Advisory Board having served on NGO boards for over 40 years including as President of the Australian Council of Social Services. He was previously an Adjunct Professor with the University of Western Australia and the Australian Catholic University.
Tanya Plibersek - Minister for Social Services
Tanya Plibersek is the Minister for Social Services, and the Federal Member for Sydney. Between 2013 and 2019, Tanya was Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party. From 2013 to 2016, Tanya was also the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development. From 2017 to 2022 Tanya was the Shadow Minister for Education and the Shadow Minister for Women. From 2022 to 2025, she was the Minister for the Environment and Water in the first Albanese Labor Government. Tanya served as a Cabinet minister in the Gillard and Rudd Governments. Tanya was Minister for Health, Minister for Medical Research, Minister for Housing, Minister for Human Services, Minister for Social Inclusion, and Minister for the Status of Women. Tanya grew up in the Sutherland Shire of Sydney and is the daughter of migrants from Slovenia. Like many newly arrived migrants, Tanya’s parents helped build the country in which they made their new home. Her father worked on the Snowy River hydro electric scheme in the 1950s. Tanya holds a BA Communications (Hons) from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and a Master of Politics and Public Policy from Macquarie University. Before entering Parliament, Tanya worked in the Domestic Violence Unit at the NSW Ministry for the Status and Advancement of Women. Elected to Federal Parliament as the Member for Sydney in 1998, she spoke of her conviction that ordinary people working together can achieve positive change. Tanya lives in Sydney with her husband Michael and her three children, Anna, Joseph and Louis.
Dani Villafana - Gender-Justice Campaigner & Victim-Survivor Advocate
Dani Villafaña is a young gender-justice campaigner, community organiser and victim-survivor advocate. As co-founder of Youth Against Sexual Violence Australia, she has witnessed first-hand the impacts of sexual violence on school-aged young people across Australia. In 2022, she was named Newtown Woman of the Year and in 2021 was awarded an Edna Ryan Award for Community Activism, and the Trailblazer Award by Girl Up (United Nations Foundation). Dani was awarded the Peter Mitchell Churchill Fellowship to investigate legal and community responses to sexual violence within secondary school communities.
Kirsty Pratt OAM - Lived Experience Leader
One of Kirsty’s most significant campaigns ran for several years and culminated in a 6-month parliamentary sit-in during 2017/18, and directly led to important law reform enabling access to justice for thousands of Western Australian survivors. Kirsty applies these reforms in her role as Abuse Client Consultant at Bradley Bayly Legal, supporting abuse survivors on their journey to healing. Her team has been awarded for “always sticking up for the little guy” and through this work, she has twice shared a podium with fellow Law Clerk, Erin Brockovich. With a strong connection to her community, Kirsty is active in voluntary roles on various committees, including many years as the Co-Chair of the Victims of Crime Reference Group with the WA Department of Justice and previously serving as an executive director on the board of Complex Trauma WA, the peak body for WA health professionals working with complex trauma.
Neta Kerepeti KSM Aotearoa New Zealand Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngātiwai, and Ngāti Mutunga tribes - Trustee of the Te Roopū Toiora Charitable Trust
Neta is married to Drew, a mother of five, grandmother of 17, and great-grandmother of 14, a blended family champion, and a survivor of abuse in State care in Aotearoa New Zealand during the mid-1970s. Neta grew up surrounded by whānau and immersed in te ao Māori. At age 12 her life took a painful turn when she was forcibly removed from her whānau home for truancy and made State ward by the Courts. Instead of receiving care and protection, Neta was subjected to horrific abuse within state-run institutions. Neta has worked as a social worker in community, not-for-profit, and state funded settings, including within the former Child, Youth, and Family Services (CYFS). She participated extensively in the Royal Commission of Inquiry helping pave the way for much-needed reform. She has served as Co-Chair and now Trustee of Te Roopū Toiora, bringing unmatched depth, courage, and insight. Her quiet and assuming leadership, and unwavering advocacy for Māori and survivor communities, make her an essential voice in driving systemic change and restoring mana to those who have long been silenced and invisible. She is a voice for justice, healing, and system transformation, drawing from her own lived experience and a long career in social work and community and cultural leadership. She has a Post-graduate Diploma in Social Work from Victoria University of Wellington, a Bachelor of Management from Otago Polytech, and is soon to complete a Master of Change and Organisational Resilience at academyEX, Auckland, New Zealand. Te Roopū Toiora Charitable Trust Neta is a founding member of the Te Roopū Toiora Charitable Trust (TRT). Alongside Fa’afete Taito, Neta is one of several survivors of abuse in care, who first established the Trust in 2022. Four years on TRT remains committed to raising awareness of the harm caused by abuse in State and faith-based care, and to create space and give voice to survivor stories, support and empower survivor healing, and to campaign for system change. Pūkahakaha East 5B Trust Today, Neta works as the ‘Kaiwhakahaere’ (General Manager) for the Pūkahakaha East 5B Ahu Whenua Trust. This is a registered entity of Māori freehold lands, established under the Māori Land Act 1993 [Sec. 244]. The beneficial owners of the entity and its estate are Neta’s kinfolk, with their lands located on the eastern coastal border of the Whangārei district in Te Taitokerau, Northland, New Zealand
Fa’afete Taito, Samoa & Aotearoa New Zealand - Chair of the Te Roopū Toiora Charitable Trust
Fa’afete Taito, known to many as Feke, is a proud Samoan New Zealander. He is a long-time partner to Viv, a father, grandfather, great-grandfather, academic, a grassroots activator, and a highly respected member of the Samoan and Māori communities. Feke is known nationally for the work he does alongside survivors of abuse in care. Placed into State care as a child in the 1970s, Feke was sent to the Ōwairaka Boys’ Home where he endured abuse and neglect; experiences that profoundly shaped his early life and led to involvement with gangs and eventual imprisonment. Despite this painful beginning, he made the bold decision in 2009 to leave behind the gang world and pursue higher education, graduating from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Arts, with a double major in Sociology and Māori. His academic work, grounded in lived experience, fuels his advocacy for justice, healing, and systemic change. Feke played a significant role in the Aotearoa New Zealand Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. As part of his work, he facilitated meetings with gang communities from across Aotearoa. Feke’s ability to connect with such communities and bring their voices to the fore has been instrumental in helping raise awareness of the long-term impacts of institutional harm. Te Roopū Toiora Charitable Trust Feke brings a courageous and deeply personal perspective to his role as Chair of the Te Roopū Toiora Charitable Trust. Through his leadership, Feke provides a powerful blend of insight, empathy, and unwavering commitment to restorative justice. Through the work he does across the greater Auckland region and the country as a whole, Feke is able to advocate for restorative approaches, cultural understanding, and systemic change. Feke offers a vital and grounded perspective on justice, resilience, the power of transformation, and the importance of listening to those with lived experience. Survivor Experience Service Today, Feke works at the Survivor Experience Service (SES), a government funded agency delivering services to people who were abused in state, faith-based or other forms of care. SES is survivor-led, and guided by an independent Board, which includes survivors of abuse from diverse backgrounds. In his role as a ‘Kaitakawaenga’, Feke leads facilitated private sessions for survivors, ensuring a safe space within which they can share their experience of abuse in care. Feke and the SES team remain committed to working with survivors from diverse backgrounds to ensure the agency is fit-for-purpose and delivers against the needs of survivors
Aaron Smale, New Zealander of Ngati Porou & Ngapuhi - Investigative Journalist
Aaron is father to two adult children. He has worked as a journalist for 26 years and won a number of national media awards including Feature Writer of the Year, Best Investigation and Best Podcast Series. This year he won Best Maori Affairs Reporter. Over the last ten years Aaron has covered the removal of indigenous children by the state and his early reporting was influential in the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into abuse in care. This work grew out of his personal experience of being adopted as an infant during the closed adoption era and finding a sister he didn’t know existed, who was also adopted. Aaron’s coverage of indigenous children in the custody of the state has included major investigations that include: a podcast on adolescent unit at the psychiatric hospital Lake Alice; researcher and associate producer for the documentary The Stolen Children of Aotearoa; and a five part series on the state’s cover-up of the abuse of children in its custody. He has also reported on the environmental destruction caused by the forestry industry in the homelands of his Ngati Porou tribe. In 2019 he was an Ochberg Fellow at Columbia University’s Dart Center, a fellowship dedicated to reporting on trauma. He has written for a number of media outlets including Al Jazeera and the Guardian. Aaron is currently studying towards a PhD at the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University in Wellington.
Natalie Lewis - Former Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Commissioner
Natalie Lewis is a Gamilaraay woman, child rights advocate and reform leader whose work has centred on the rights, safety and dignity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. A former Queensland Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People and former CEO of QATSICPP, Natalie has worked across Queensland, nationally and internationally to strengthen accountability for the systems and institutions that shape children's lives. Her advocacy is grounded in a simple conviction: the protection of children requires more than good intentions - it requires truth, courage and a willingness to act and to hold power to account. Natalie is known for her unapologetic advocacy for First Nations children and for refusing to remain silent when policies, institutions or systems cause harm. Her contribution to child rights, First Nations policy and systemic reform has been recognised through a number of honours, including the QUT Outstanding Indigenous Australian Alumnus Award. Natalie continues to advocate for justice, accountability and the right of every child to be safe, heard and treated with dignity.
More Speakers Coming Soon!
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between attending in person and online?
You have the option to attend our Forum either in person in Canberra, or from the comfort of your home or office. The online option will be a livestream of the event at Australian Parliament House.
- When does the early bird rate expire?
We offer discounted early bird rates when you register before 9.00am on Thursday 1 October 2026 for both the in-person and online livestream options.
- Are group bookings available?
We encourage you to attend with your colleagues! If you have a group that you would like to register together and pay for in one transaction, this is available. Just select the number of attendees in your group and you will be able to enter each of their details in the one registration, and receive one Tax Invoice upon completion.
- Do you offer a Group Discount?
We are pleased to offer a '5 tickets for the price of 4' group discount for the online livestream option. This means that If you register 5 people, you will receive a 20% discount.
- Are dietary requirements accommodated?
Yes, for those who are attending in person. You will have the opportunity to provide your dietary requirements during registration.
- What is the best way to travel to Australian Parliament House?
By Car:
You can access the public car park from Parliament Drive or Federation Mall (search for 'Parliament House car park' on Google Maps). The public car park is undercover and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Parking is free for the first hour. If you hold a valid disability or government vehicle parking permit, parking is free for your entire visit. Further information on rates can be found HERE.
The car park includes accessible parking spaces and electric vehicle charging stations.
Rideshare:
You can also catch an Uber, which can drop you off at the designated underground drop-off/pick-up area.
Public Transport:
Bus numbers 57 and 58 stop right outside Australian Parliament House on Federation Mall, approximately 200 meters from the main entrance.
To plan your public transport journey, visit: https://www.transport.act.gov.au/
- Is Australian Parliament House accessible?
Yes. Australian Parliament House is accessible and supports attendees with mobility, hearing, vision, or other access requirements. For access to wheelchairs and additional accessibility support services, please visit the Information Desk in the Marble Foyer.
The Parliament House car park includes accessible parking spaces.
- Will I be subject to security checks when I enter Australian Parliament House?
Yes. You will need to undergo a security check before entering the Marble Foyer.
Important: Please ensure you bring a valid photo ID with you on the day.
Once you pass security and enter the Marble Foyer, head to your right where the concierge desk is located.
- Is there a map of Australian Parliament House I can access?
Yes. Click HERE to view a map of Australian Parliament House.
- Will presentation slides be shared?
Where permission has been granted by presenters, presentation materials will be shared after the event.
- Who can I contact for further information?
For enquiries, please contact our Knowmore Learning and Events Team via Email: learningandevents@knowmore.org.au
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
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