The scourge of domestic violence is so prevalent in NSW a phone call is made to police every two minutes about a family violence incident, a forum has heard.
The event at the University of Western Sydney is hearing from Women's Safety Minister Natalie Ward, Labor's Jodie Harrison and The Greens Abigail Boyd, outlining their plans for curbing domestic violence, ahead of the March 25 election.
It is also hearing from survivors of domestic violence and the CEO of peak body DVNSW, Delia Donovan.
Domestic Violence NSW wants the state government to ramp up efforts to curb domestic and family violence, saying it is critical for advocates to work closely with authorities on reforms.
Ms Donovan told the forum on Thursday that a holistic approach was needed from NSW government to address the issue, with a particular emphasis on preventing violence.
More work in education on the topic, long-term support for those recovering from domestic violence, and safe and appropriate housing were also "absolutely paramount", she said.
Another priority was legal and policing reform where she said "there was a huge amount of work to do".
"We know that police get a phone call every two minutes about a domestic and family violence incident," Ms Donovan said.
Sixty per cent of police work was spent on domestic violence cases.
"We want to work really, really closely with police," she said.
Ms Donovan said she wanted to see Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people "leading the change" in the field as well as better workforce development planning to attract and retain specialist staff.
The coalition last year committed an extra $69.6 million in the budget to combat domestic violence, including minimising the trauma of legal proceedings.
It also passed legislation making NSW the first Australian jurisdiction where coercive control is a standalone criminal offence, a long-awaited reform designed to protect people from domestic violence.
DVNSW at the time praised the government for grappling with the complex issue, but said it had missed a chance to enact more wholesale reform.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Lifeline 13 11 14
