''The People's Blueprint: Transforming the way we deal with child abuse and domestic violence in New Zealand'' was released last week.
It follows ''The People's Report: The people's inquiry into addressing child abuse and domestic violence'', released in June by the $2 million inquiry, set up and financed by millionaire businessman Sir Owen Glenn.
University of Otago senior social work lecturer Dr Nicola Atwool is an inquiry think-tank member.
The aims are noble, and the inquiry has persevered despite problems that beset it in the beginning: personal spats, resignations and revelations of Sir Owen's ''no contest'' plea to a historic physical abuse charge against a young woman (the allegation was denied by Sir Owen and the charge dismissed in 2004).
The initial report recorded the stories of about 500 people - victims, perpetrators and frontline workers - and highlighted weaknesses and strengths in the system. The blueprint proposes comprehensive reform and actions throughout all layers of society.
Its main recommendations are setting up a stand-alone agency to implement a long-term national family violence strategy; a raft of national intervention and prevention programmes; a ''one family, one judge'' family violence court system; tighter alcohol laws; family violence training in relevant workplaces; free long-term counselling for survivors of child abuse and family violence; legislative changes to make explicit the right to be safe from violence; Privacy Act changes to allow sharing of personal information in family violence allegations; electronic tagging in protection orders; and a cross-party political agreement and assigning of the family violence portfolio to the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister.
Inquiry chairman Bill Wilson QC says some measures may appear ''bold'' but are necessary to address what has become ''normalised and inter-generational'' violence in New Zealand homes.
Reaction to the recommendations - as with the previous report - has been mixed, with some ideas finding favour and others questioned.
What has once again emerged though - as has been the case in previous similar reports by a raft of organisations over many years - is acknowledgement the problem of family violence is widespread, entrenched and must be tackled in a multifaceted way with involvement from all sectors of the community.
However, the inquiry is independent, and while some recommendations may be taken on board, there is no onus on the Government to adopt any of its ideas or recommendations.
Yet some of its conclusions, such as a cross-party political agreement, seem essential if meaningful progress is to be made swiftly and permanently.
We know almost 50% of homicides are family violence-related.
Our current strategies are not working, despite the best efforts of a great many New Zealanders trying to make a difference.
Real action and meaningful changes are required - and that must be led from the top.
Domestic abuse can be physical and psychological. It is about controlling someone through intimidation, denigration and violence.
While some may like to think banter or antics are innocuous (and there have been two such high-profile employment cases in the news of late), others can be made to feel uncomfortable and belittled by them, and negative power dynamics and sexual stereotypes reinforced.
The message that women should ''put up and shut up'', for instance, is one that can have far more serious repercussions down the line in extreme situations.
Likewise, that there are still calls from some quarters to bring back the legal right to use violence to physically discipline children is mind-boggling.
Anyone who is willing to dismiss the very real and pressing concerns and fears of New Zealand women, and their children, should read just one of the personal accounts in the blueprint or the people's report.
That should be all the impetus needed for change - in attitudes and policy.
