The NSW Government has announced $230 million as part of an emergency support package over the next four years for domestic, family and sexual violence victim-survivors.
The announcement detailed on Monday includes $38 million for the state’s first dedicated Primary Prevention Strategy, with the government promising long-term prevention reform.
The Pathways to Prevention: NSW Strategy for the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence 2024-2027 is to be informed by the lived experience of victim-survivors and experts, including leaders in the domestic family and sexual violence sector to have engaged with the NSW Cabinet last week.
At least one prevention strategy has already been outlined, with $8.1 million promised for an ‘all in’ early childhood pilot aimed at teaching young children about healthy relationships.
Five million dollars has been allocated for research into perpetrators and effective interventions.
Crisis support funding boost
In terms of crisis funds, the government has promised $48 million to be invested in workers supporting children accompanying their mothers to refuges.
The state’s Staying Home Leaving Violence (SHLV) program and Integrated Domestic and Family Violence Service (IDFVS) is to be expanded thanks to another $48 million.
A formal evaluation from the Gendered Violence Research Network at the University of NSW reportedly found the SHLV program contributed to the long-term safety and housing stability of women and children leaving violent and abusive relationships.
The IDFVS, meanwhile, is described as providing important case management.
The service is aimed at helping victim-survivors navigate government agencies’ and non-government organisations’ services, whether they have left the abusive relationship or stayed.
It is desgined to focus on maximising safety for the victim-survivors and their children and includes coordination across police, courts, healthcare, child protection workers, housing providers and women’s refuges.
Another $700,000 is promised for the NSW Domestic Violence Line and $3.6 million to expand Domestic Violence NSW, the state’s peak body for specialist services.
There is also $5 million for workforce training on the implementation of what the government says will be a ‘newly developed risk assessment framework, and quality standards’.
Investing in justice
Much recent discussion of domestic violence has revolved around the justice system’s response.
The NSW government says it’s investing $45 million in bail law improvements, with measures ‘to be announced in coming weeks’.
Details so far released include ‘nearly $24 million for specialist DV support workers within the justice system’ and $2 million over four years ‘to support the Domestic Violence Death Review Team’.
The government says the team is dedicated to ‘robust research around risks factors, trends and impact of service delivery’.
Finally, there is $2.1 million over two years for improving and continuing the Corrective Services program EQUIPS Domestic and Family Violence.
That’s an offender-focussed scheme aimed at preventing reoffending, delivered to perpetrators in custody and under supervision.
Minister for Corrections Anoulack Chanthivong says the government is ensuring offenders ‘can access the specialised programs they need to help change their behaviour’.
This week’s state government announcement comes with statistics quoting nearly 1 in 4 women and 1 in 8 men in Australia having experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member since the age of 15.
It also comes a day after around a hundred people rallied in Ballina with support from the Ballina Shire Council to call for more government action to address domestic violence in Australia.
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