15 October 2024
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (16:28): I rise to speak in support of the Children and Young People (Oversight and Advocacy Bodies) (Child Death and Serious Injury Review Committee) Amendment Bill 2024 on behalf of the Greens. The death or injury of a child is always a terrible tragedy. It is vital that we do as much as we can in the prevention of child death and injury in our state.
The Child Death and Serious Injury Review Committee is tasked with preventing death and injury of children. They are an independent oversight and advocacy body which review the circumstances of child death and injury. They then provide recommendations about measures that could lead to further prevention.
I understand there have been some barriers to effective and efficient handling of these reviews and that this bill aims to address those. Currently, when there is a review of a child death or serious injury, the committee is required to wait until the end of any coronial inquest. This can result in delays of up to five years after the death of a child, by which time it is more difficult for the committee to investigate and this can result in a delay in prevention measures being recommended and, indeed, put in place.
This bill allows the committee to undertake these investigations in parallel with any coronial inquest and sets out important safeguards to preserve the integrity of that process. The bill also allows the minister to refer individual cases to the committee. The Greens consider that these are sensible measures and support this bill in the hope that it can lead to more prevention of child deaths and injuries in our communities.