Labor tables child abuse reporting bill

Staff at immigration detention centres would be legally bound to report all child abuse under private legislation introduced to parliament.

Labor's immigration spokesman Richard Marles's private member's bill imposes a mandatory 24-hour reporting regime for any staff who "reasonably" believe a child is at risk.

"This bill ensures that there is absolutely no doubt that staff have not only freedom to report abuse but a legal obligation to do so," he told the lower house on Monday, adding detention was no place for children.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Labor had not supported her party's amendment along similar lines during debate on emergency legislation on the Nauru detention centre in June.

"It shows that people, when they take a bit of a breath and they think about the policies the Greens put forward, they realise that we were right," she told reporters.