12 November 2024
The NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner today highlighted important progress made in the previous financial year in NSW’s fight against modern slavery, while stressing the need for continued efforts across the NSW Government and community. In his newly published Annual Report for 2023-2024, Engaging for Freedom, the Commissioner shared key achievements and outlined how government, business, and community organisations can work together to improve the state’s ability to identify, prevent, address, and remedy modern slavery.
“In the past year, we have made important strides toward ensuring everyone in New South Wales realises their human right to be free from modern slavery,” said Dr James Cockayne, NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner. “Our state is a global leader in the fight against modern slavery, but we cannot stop here. We must tackle the many serious challenges that remain for those at risk of, and suffering, modern slavery.”
Among the achievements, the Commissioner highlighted the:
- establishment of the 1800 FREEDOM assistance and support hotline (1800 37 33 36)
- 313 referrals for victims of modern slavery
- activation of the Shared Implementation Framework, which provides detailed guidance and tools to 420 NSW public entities on tackling modern slavery risks in their supply-chains, covering over $42 billion in annual spending
- extensive outreach to rural and regional NSW communities, with a focus on modern slavery risks for temporary migrant workers
- delivery of the first NSW Anti-slavery Forum
- fostering leadership by people with lived experience of modern slavery.
While the State’s achievements in 2023-2024 were significant, the Commissioner highlighted several constraints that need addressing, making a series of recommendations to Government and the community. These include:
- Formal notification of a “significant issue” to the NSW Department of Communities and Justice: The Annual Report formally notifies the NSW Department of Communities and Justice that it has a “significant issue” in its operations because of the lack of a “system of support” for victims of forced under-age marriage. This system of support is envisaged by section 19 of the Act. The Commissioner’s notification obliges the Department to report next year on the actions it has taken in relation to that issue.
- Training for frontline workers: No government agencies yet have in place the mandatory training envisaged by section 19 of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (NSW). But around 60% of surveyed agencies with frontline workers indicate they are willing to develop such training in cooperation with the Anti-slavery Commissioner. The Commissioner recommends that the NSW Government form an inter-agency taskforce to work with him to develop training arrangements.
- Stronger information-gathering powers: Amending the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (NSW) to give the NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner limited inspection powers, like those enjoyed by local councils or the NSW Building Commissioner, would improve the ability of the Commissioner to discharge his functions and achieve the objects of the Act. In particular, it would allow him to provide more detailed information to law enforcement and regulatory bodies, creating a stronger foundation for investigation.
- Stable funding for anti-slavery efforts: The current funding structure, in which the Commissioner’s work is funded out of the budget of the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, constrains the Commissioner’s ability to discharge his statutory functions. It has a particular impact on assistance and support to victims, and monitoring the effectiveness of efforts to tackle modern slavery risks in government supply-chains. The Commissioner is currently operating with around 40% of the staff he modelled he would need at this point in time, when he took up the role. The Commissioner calls for the NSW Government to allocate dedicated funding to anti-slavery work in the NSW State Budget and seeks immediate support for an extra 6 personnel to address victim assistance and support needs and to help address modern slavery risks in government buying.
For the full version of the NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner’s Annual Report 2023-24 visit the website.
