I speak in favour of the Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Amendment Bill 2024. I thank the Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism for bringing this important bill to the House. The bill will substantially strengthen the NSW Police Force's ability to protect children and young people from reoffending sex offenders in New South Wales and is a tangible demonstration of the New South Wales Government's commitment to protecting children from harm. This bill will amend the administration of the Child Protection Register and expand the number of serious child sexual abuse offences that trigger the mandatory reporting requirements under the Act.

The statistics on child sexual abuse demonstrate disturbing figures. According to the Australian Child Maltreatment Study published in 2023, which surveyed 8,500 Australians aged over 16 years of age, 28.5 per cent of Australians have experienced some form of child sexual abuse. This study also reports that more than one in three girls and one in five boys have experienced sexual abuse. When these statistics are broken down to look at the 3,500 youth respondents to the survey, who are aged from 16 to 24, they show that 25.7 per cent of those surveyed experienced child sexual abuse. The impact of the trauma of child sexual abuse on the individual is lifelong, and people who have a lived experience of abuse are more likely to experience mental health disorders, smoke and binge-drink, as well as harm themselves or attempt suicide. The impacts on each individual child who is a survivor of abuse are ongoing and demonstrate our need as legislators to take steps towards protecting children and young people in our constituencies.

In its current form, the Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Act 2000 ensures mandatory reporting of personal information to police by a range of persons convicted of sexual offences against children. The changes proposed by this bill were informed by the final report from Operation Tusket in 2019, which found limitations and errors in the administration of the Child Protection Register, including incorrect decisions when determining the status and reporting period of individuals on the register. Those errors were found to present risks to children and young people, and to provide offenders with increased opportunities to reoffend.

Substantial input from a range of government, legal sector and child protection advocates has been included when refining the changes presented in this bill. The bill will strengthen the scheme by expanding the offences covered to include additional offences such as the administration of digital platforms that distribute child sexual abuse material. Additionally, the bill will require persons on the register to report changes to their personal details within five days, from the current seven-day requirement, and all contact with children, including via social media, must be reported within 24 hours. The aim of those changes is to support our police to rapidly identify children at risk of sexual abuse.

Understanding that we now live in a society where the internet presents risks to children, the bill will also expand information that needs to be reported to police, including participation in web-based games. The number of permitted annual inspections of the home of a person on the register will be doubled by the changes proposed in this bill, and there are new requirements for our courts to issue a registrable person order that clearly sets out the offender's reporting requirements when they are sentenced. Those court orders, with the passage of this bill, will be mandatory for adult offenders. The bill also acknowledges the complexities of child offenders. The court will be able to issue similar orders to a minor when the court believes that the young person presents an ongoing risk to other children.

Finally, the bill will require all persons visiting this State who are on a register outside of New South Wales to report to New South Wales police within five days of entering the State. Longer-term visitors will have the same reporting requirements as New South Wales residents, assisting police with more up-to-date information on entrants to this State who pose a risk to the community. Our local police—including the Blacktown Police Area Command in my electorate, led by Superintendent Rod Pistola—work tirelessly to protect our community. It is vital we support their ability to protect our vulnerable children and young people from any risk of harm.

Given the lifelong impact of being a victim of child sexual abuse on an individual, any changes that work to prevent children from being harmed by sexual abuse not only support victims of abuse but also provide support to the many government and non-government organisations that support victims following abuse. My office and I have a positive working relationship with the hardworking managers and caseworkers at Blacktown's Department of Communities and Justice [DCJ] child protection unit. I recently met the manager of the Blacktown Community Services Centre, Rebecca Saklaoui, as well as Kate Roels, who heads up the Western Sydney response hub.

This hub is an innovative program that commenced in 2023 through community services, which is the first point of contact for any children and young people reported to be at risk of significant harm. The hub works in partnership with families, services and the community to strengthen connections and reduce risks to children and young people. The hub consists of a triage team, family engagement team, adolescent team and prenatal team. Kids Helpline and its empathetic counsellors operate out of Western Sydney, taking calls and messages from children and young people aged five to 25 who are in distress on a whole range of issues. The service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1800 55 1800. During the 2022-23 financial year, Kids Helpline reported 122,356 responses by counsellors, 70,618 counselling sessions and 3,893 crisis and safety interventions, with 33 per cent of the national calls coming from New South Wales. Those figures demonstrate the significant need for support for children and young people in our community who are struggling.

Act for Kids has a site in Blacktown and provides therapy for children and young people who have experienced trauma or are at risk of harm, as well as education services focused on protective behaviours to prevent children from harm. Blacktown Women's and Girls' Health Centre, led by executive officer Jhan Leach, provides a safe place for women and children. The centre provides health and wellbeing services in a holistic fashion to support victims of abuse and trauma. Rosie's Place, based in Rooty Hill, commenced in 1986. At the time it was one of only four community-based sexual assault services in New South Wales. Rosie's Place was named after one of the first clients who attended the service and is made up of a highly skilled group of counsellors who provide support to victims of sexual assault. [Extension of time]

Additionally, several agencies in Blacktown—including OzChild, Wesley Mission Blacktown, CatholicCare Blacktown and Anglicare Blacktown—provide case management and support to children and families who are experiencing abuse, neglect or trauma issues. I thank those local organisations for their tireless work and dedication. I also acknowledge my senior electoral officer, Elizabeth Banks, who previously worked in child protection for DCJ. She gained valuable experience and knowledge at DCJ and provides heartwarming empathy, creative skills and innovation to provide solutions for community organisations and constituents. The bill supports the work that each of those valuable frontline organisations and their workforces do to support children who have experienced abuse and trauma, and assists the police in minimising the risk of harm. The bill provides both administrative changes and tangible improvements to protect children from sexual abuse. I commend the bill to the House.