The Opposition Leader has personally written to Prime Minister Tony Abbott, as well as state and territory leaders, urging them to get behind his proposal for a summit in the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra on October 12.

In the letters, obtained by Fairfax Media, Mr Shorten points out that an estimated 62 Australian women have died this year at the hands of a partner, former partner or someone they know.

"In the past week, we witnessed further shocking events in Queensland and Victoria that have highlighted the need for urgent and meaningful action on this important issue," Mr Shorten says in his letter to Mr Abbott.

There was an outpouring of community grief and anger last week after a series of deadly attacks committed by men against women.

Gold Coast woman Tara Brown died in hospital on Wednesday after her estranged partner allegedly rammed her car off the road and then brutally bashed her as she lay trapped in the wreckage.

The next day, Karina Lock was shot dead at a McDonald's on the Gold Coast by her former husband Stephen Lock. He shot himself and died on Friday.

A few hours earlier, Brisbane woman Zarah Farah Abdi was allegedly attacked with a machete by an ex-partner. She survived.

And earlier in the week, a Sydney man was charged with the stabbing murders of his mother and young nephew. On Monday, mining executive Stephen Philip Playford allegedly killed his six-year-old daughter in their Brisbane home.

Mr Shorten first called for a crisis summit in March but Mr Abbott was cool on the idea.

The Prime Minister has said he wants the issue dealt with by the Council of Australian Governments, which is next due to meet in November. COAG leaders have pledged to agree on a national domestic violence order and take other measures by the end of this year.

But Mr Shorten says while he acknowledges the COAG process he believes the summit would elevate the issue further.

It would bring together not only federal, state and territory leaders but also law enforcement, service providers, experts and survivors in an effort to get consensus on urgent judicial and services reform.

"An Australia where every woman is safe at home, secure in the community and supported by the system would be a significant achievement in Australia's national interest," Mr Shorten says in the letter.

If Mr Abbott does not agree to the summit plan, Mr Shorten has promised to host one in the first 100 days if Labor wins government the next election.

The chief executive of White Ribbon Australia, Libby Davies, said the summit would be a worthwhile exercise provided it resulted in action.

"We welcome the crisis summit but it has to be more than a talkfest," she said.

The chief executive of the Our Watch campaign group, Paul Linnossier, said bringing together political leaders with experts and stakeholders could only be a good thing.

"It's worthwhile. There's not currently a place that we come together to share responsibility to solve the problem," he said.