The Royal Commission has now concluded our program of regional visits, signalling the end of our statewide engagement sessions, and the switch to report writing.

While a small number of listening sessions will continue during May, the Commission has completed its public consultation phase and is now focused on delivering the final report.

Findings and recommendations will reflect the enormous amount of information, data and evidence collated since the Commission began in July 1 last year.

I want to thank every person who has contributed to the Commission during this period of time either through the more than 100 listening sessions, our 10 days of Public Hearings, via the more than 350 submissions received and more than 800 responses to the Share With Us survey.

I want to especially thank the people I met with recently in some of our state’s most remote locations – including in Coober Pedy, the APY Lands and in Ceduna.

Each of these visits afforded me the opportunity to meet with service providers and agencies, and sit with members of each community, to listen to the issues that impact them. The delivery and access to services in remote and regional South Australia continues to be an emerging theme, and one that I have heard loud and clear.

We now focus on the report, and providing South Australia with a roadmap towards ending domestic, family and sexual violence. I know the community wants it, and I believe that there is the goodwill to make a real change.

The challenge is now to make it happen, and I am absolutely going to try.

Natasha Stott Despoja AO

Commissioner