Safety by Design

Family violence is pervasive and serious. While we can’t always prevent perpetrators from attempting to misuse systems, we can design systems that stop those efforts from succeeding. That’s how we prevent harm—and that’s why this work is so important.

- Commissioner and Chairperson Gerard Brody, speaking at the launch of the Designed to Disrupt for essential services report - 19 May 2025

We partnered with Thriving Communities Australia, together with Catherine Fitzpatrick (Flequity Ventures), Safe and Equal and the Centre for Women’s Economic Safety on the Safety by Design Partnership project for water and energy.

The partnership engaged widely with energy and water businesses and experts, regulators and ombudsman, the family violence and community sectors and people with lived experience of family violence to build capability for change and reduce risks for consumers experiencing family violence.

The Safety by design for essential services report is now available. The report puts a spotlight on how family violence risk interacts with products, services and systems in the utility sector.

You can download a copy of the report by following the link below. To view other reports in the Designed to Disrupt series please visit the Flequity Ventures website.