New South Wales Supreme Court judge Peter McClellan has been appointed to lead the royal commission into child sexual abuse.

He will be supported by five other commissioners, including former Queensland police commissioner Bob Atkinson and former senator Andrew Murray, who have been asked to provide an interim report on progress by mid next year.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says the Government will make sure that survivors of abuse receive the support they need and that lessons are learnt from the past.

The commissioners From top, left to right: Peter McClellan Senior NSW Supreme Court judge

Senior NSW Supreme Court judge Former chair of the Sydney Water Inquiry

Former chair of the Sydney Water Inquiry Former assistant commissioner at ICAC Jennifer Coate New appointee to the Family Court of Australia

New appointee to the Family Court of Australia Victorian County Court judge and former president of Children's Court Bob Atkinson Former Queensland police commissioner

Former Queensland police commissioner Oversaw police reforms following Fitzgerald inquiry Andrew Murray Former WA senator

Former WA senator Advocate on issues surrounding institutionalised children Helen Milroy Psychiatrist with a focus on the wellbeing of children

Psychiatrist with a focus on the wellbeing of children Director for WA's Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health Robert Fitzgerald Commissioner on the Productivity Commission since 2004

Commissioner on the Productivity Commission since 2004 Convenes the Indigenous Disadvantage Working Group

Convenes the Indigenous Disadvantage Working Group Former Community and Disability Services commissioner in NSW

"I believe our nation needs to have this royal commission," Ms Gillard told reporters in Sydney.

"Child sexual abuse is a hideous, shocking and vile crime.

"It is clear from what is already in the public domain that too many children were the subject of child sexual abuse in institutions."

The Government says the inquiry will have "as long as it needs" to finish its investigation, although each of the commissioners will be appointed for an initial period of three years.

Its main focus will be to investigate systemic failures within church and state-run institutions in preventing and dealing with child abuse.

"Today is the day that we start to create a future where people who perpetrate child sexual abuse cannot hide in institutions, where we work together to find a better way of keeping our children safe," Ms Gillard said.

"The royal commission is into child sexual abuse and related matters in institutional contexts.

"It will not deal with child sexual abuse in the family. It also will not deal with abuse of children which is not associated with child sexual abuse."

Ms Gillard says the selection of commissioners and the terms of reference were finalised after extensive discussions with state leaders, law enforcement agencies, support groups and community leaders.

The commissioners will hold a telephone hook-up on Monday, with their first face-to-face meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

Shadow attorney-general George Brandis says the Coalition has examined the terms of reference and believe they are "sufficiently comprehensive" to carry out a proper investigation.

"It is very important that the royal commission not be constrained in pursuing its inquiries in relation to all institutions, both public and private, where there is reason to believe child sexual abuse may have taken place," Senator Brandis said in a statement.

"For instance, there is a great deal of evidence of widespread sexual abuse of children within Indigenous communities, which the royal commission will have the opportunity to examine."

Terms of reference

The terms of reference specifically ask the commissioners to consider what action governments and institutions should take to provide "redress" to victims of past and future sexual abuse.

Families Minister Jenny Macklin acknowledges the process will put extra pressure on victims support groups and has pledged to provide extra government funding to help.

"For many people, it will open up very old wounds and for that reason the Government will make sure that we provide support for individuals," Ms Macklin said.

"We'll also provide financial resources to those organisations that individual survivors know and trust."

Given the large number of people expected to come forward with examples of abuse, the Government is proposing changes to the laws governing royal commissions to speed up the process.

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon says the current legislation only allows evidence to be heard before all commissioners at the same time.

"Part of our purpose of appointing six commissioners is because we expect that there will be very large numbers of people who may want to present to the commission," Ms Roxon said.

"They may want to do it less formally than would normally be expected, and we certainly don't intend that all evidence would need to be given to every one of the six commissioners at the one time."

Investigations unit

The Government has suggested the royal commission team establish a special investigations unit to work with victims of abuse and refer matters to police for prosecution where appropriate.

Ms Roxon says the Australian Federal Police has already offered to second officers to the inquiry, although she says it will be up to the commissioners to decide how best to organise the process.

There have been many inquiries and investigations into different aspects of child abuse over many years, many of which have taken place at a state level.

The commission has been asked to consider what information is already publicly available to avoid "unnecessary trauma to witnesses" and to speed up the process.

Some victims have already received compensation for the abuse they suffered and signed confidentiality agreements with the relevant institution.

Ms Roxon says the royal commission will not be limited in its work by those contracts.

"They do have far-reaching powers that enable them to override those (confidentiality) agreements or indeed immunities," she said.

"But it would be pure speculation, which we are not prepared to make now, whether the commission will indeed take that approach or not."

Ms Gillard says it will be up to the commission to decide what witnesses they call to give evidence, but she has urged people to cooperate with its investigation.