Ms Watson used a parliamentary address last week to call for new legislation to protect victims of domestic and family violence, to give police and courts additional powers to act.

She told the Mercury on Monday she was planning to introduce a private member's bill later this year for legislative changes to make coercive and controlling behaviour a criminal offence.

"Coercive control has been outlawed in England and Wales since 2015," she said.

"Last year Scotland's Domestic Abuse Act criminalised coercive and controlling behaviours covering psychological, financial or sexual abuse with the single offence carrying a maximum of a 14-year sentence.

"We need a law like this that would allow coercive patterns of behaviour to be criminalised, one that would see offenders who are isolating their partners from support networks, making their partner dependent, controlling their activities, restricting their freedom or punishing them found guilty of a crime and punished accordingly."

In her private member's statement last Thursday, Ms Watson said the murders of Hannah Clarke and her children must motivate change.

"This young mum and her three beautiful children were brutally killed after being set alight by their father on their morning drive to school," she said.

"There are no words to describe how gutless and horrific this crime is and I, like so many other Australians, am in complete shock.

"Sadly, events like this one are not anomalies. Domestic violence is still a prevalent issue that has infected too many homes and touched too many families in Australia."

Ms Watson highlighted the effect of domestic and family violence in the Illawarra, and across the state.

"Every eight-and-a-half minutes the NSW police deal with a domestic violence related incident," she said.

"Police officers from the Lake Illawarra Local Area Command estimate they spend half of their time on domestic violence incidents every single day.

"The suburbs of Warilla and Lake Illawarra in the Shellharbour electorate have become hot spots for domestic violence, with record high rates of domestic violence, well above the state average.

"Obviously, these figures can only reflect the incidence of domestic violence that is reported, which is just the tip of the iceberg."

Ms Watson has long been a supporter of the Illawarra Women's Health Centre; last year successfully lobbying the state government for a grant of $35,000 to address staff shortages.

However she told parliament a one-off grant was not enough, with centres like this needing improved and recurrent funding.

"Demand is drastically outstripping supply," she said.

"I have been advised that some of the waiting lists for services at the Illawarra Women's Health Centre are two to three months long.

"Vulnerable women should not have to wait three months to receive the care and support they desperately need."

Ms Watson is supporting the Illawarra Women's Health Centre's campaign for a domestic violence trauma recovery centre to be built in the region.

She urged other members of parliament to reach out to domestic violence services in their electorates - to see what support they required.

"I ask every member of this House to pause for a moment to reflect on Hannah, Aaliyah, Laianah, and Trey," she said.

"They should take a moment to think of every individual in their electorate who has been killed or injured as a result of domestic violence.

"They should feel sad and angry, and turn these feelings into action."

The Mercury is also supporting the Illawarra Women's Health Centre's campaign and, in partnership with the organisation, will present an exhibition of family and domestic violence survivors, to be launched on April 1 at Wollongong Art Gallery.

Taken by Mercury photographer, and Walkley Award winner, Sylvia Liber, the photos highlight the long-term mental trauma of domestic and family violence, while showing the women's strength and resilience.

The Mercury will also share the personal stories of these survivors in a series of articles, Road to Recovery, which will start on Saturday, March 7.

If you need support call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the NSW DV line on 1800 65 64 63.