And the federal member for where that shooting tragedy unfolded is independent Kate Chaney, and she joins me live now. Kate, I'm so sorry we're talking under these tragic circumstances. Your community must be utterly shattered right now.

It is absolutely devastating. Like any connected community, there are so many ways people knew this family and the area. The realisation is just dawning on the community of what’s been taken away from us in this incident.

Your office is very close to the crime scene. When did you know something so terrible was happening in your electorate, and what are locals telling you about what they saw and heard?

My office is about 200 meters away, and we heard the sirens and the police response. I have friends who live just around the corner who were babysitting and heard the gunshots. It’s very disturbing for everyone who has seen and been part of that experience. Lots of people heard the gunshots, and there was a huge police presence very quickly, so it was hard to miss.

Have you spoken to the Prime Minister since this tragedy unfolded?

Yes, I spoke to the Prime Minister on Saturday morning. He sent his condolences to the community, and we spoke about the terrible problem of violence against women. I reiterated my deep concern that we respond as a government and also that there is a broad community response that needs to happen. This is everybody's problem.

It absolutely is. Talking about your community, what more needs to be done to protect women? What can be done now?

The details of this event are still unfolding, so I don’t think we can yet say what could have been done to prevent this. On the broader issue of violence against women, we need better frontline service responses, more accommodation, and some justice reform. This needs change at both federal and state levels. There is also a deeper, long-term prevention change needed, where we need to look at pornography and social media to understand why men are seeing violence as an answer to problems.

We don't know the specifics around this double shooting that has taken place in your community, but do you think it highlights the need for improved shelters and crisis accommodation for women?

We understand that the woman who was killed had a friend staying with her who was going through a divorce. We don’t know the exact circumstances, but having more options available for women who are going through breakups or need crisis accommodation is essential. I hear lots of stories from constituents, and this goes across socioeconomic status. There are many women who feel trapped and struggle to find a path out of violent relationships.

Just quickly before we finish, do you think there are enough shelters in your area? If a woman was in fear of her life, would she get a place right now?

All the frontline services that do this work are oversubscribed, so there aren't enough places. I recognise the challenges with the housing crisis. We don’t know the circumstances of this case, but we need to have options available for women leaving relationships. This reinforces both the need for services and the broad community change needed.

You make some very important points. Kate Chaney, thanks for your time today.