$230 million to improve NSW domestic violence prevention and support

Monday, 6 May 2024

The NSW Government will provide $230 million over four years as part of an emergency package to enhance support for domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) victim-survivors and expand programs that reduce the rate of violence against women and children.

Nearly 1 in 4 women and 1 in 8 men in Australia have experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member since the age of 15.

The NSW Government is taking urgent action to address the unacceptable rate of violence against women and children, including implementation of NSW’s first dedicated Primary Prevention Strategy – a new step in NSW’s approach to preventing DFSV.

The Government will also undertake further long-term reform to prevent domestic, sexual and family violence in NSW.

This work will be informed by the lived experience of victim-survivors and expert advice to government, including from leaders in the domestic family and sexual violence sector who engaged directly with the NSW Cabinet last week.

The package includes:

Crisis Response

• $48m to roll out the Staying Home Leaving Violence (SHLV) program state-wide and to expand the Integrated Domestic and Family Violence Service (IDFVS).

- The Staying Home Leaving Violence program helps women and their children to remain safe in their homes after leaving a violent relationship. In 2022, a formal evaluation from the Gendered Violence Research Network at the University of NSW found this program effectively contributes to the long-term safety and housing stability of women and children who have left a violent and abusive relationship.

- The Integrated Domestic and Family Violence Service provides important case management helping people to navigate the services of government agencies and non-government organisations. This can include coordinating across police, courts, healthcare, child protection workers, housing providers and women’s refuges. The program works with both victim-survivors who have left a relationship and those who remain, focusing on maximising safety for this group of women and their children.

Improving the Justice System for Victims

• $45 million has been set aside to improve bail laws and justice system responses to domestic violence with measures to be announced in coming weeks.
• Nearly $24 million for specialist DV support workers within the justice system.
• $2 million over four years to support the Domestic Violence Death Review Team and its work to deliver robust research around risks factors, trends and impact of service delivery.
• $2.1 million over two years to improve and continue the Corrective Services program EQUIPS Domestic and Family Violence, delivered to offenders in custody and under supervision in the community to prevent reoffending.

Early Intervention

• $48 million to secure and increase funding for workers who support children accompanying their mothers to refuges. These specialist workers support them, including with education and mental health measures.
• Support of $700,000 for the NSW Domestic Violence Line (DV line).

Primary Prevention

• $38 million for the implementation of NSW’s first dedicated Primary Prevention Strategy.
• The Pathways to Prevention: NSW Strategy for the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence 2024-2027 will develop a range of initiatives to address the drivers of domestic, family and sexual violence.
• $8.1 million over four years for the ‘All in’ early childhood pilot, to prevent domestic violence by teaching young children about healthy relationships.

Strengthening the Sector

• $5 million for workforce training on the implementation of a newly developed risk assessment framework, and quality standards.
• $3.6 million to expand Domestic Violence NSW (DVNSW), which is the peak body for specialist services in New South Wales.

Research

• $5m in funding for research into perpetrators and effective interventions.

This package supports NSW’s commitments, alongside the Prime Minister and First Ministers across the country, at National Cabinet last week. First Ministers committed to sustained focus on stopping the homicides and achieving our shared goal of ending violence against women and children in a generation.

If you or someone you know is affected by domestic, family or sexual violence, please call the tollfree number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for support on 1800RESPECT or visit 1800respect.org.au.

Premier Chris Minns said:

“Too many lives have been lost and too many families have been broken because of domestic and family violence. It is a blight in our communities, and it is a problem that deserves our government’s concerted attention and response.

“We are listening to leaders, organisations, victim-survivors, and communities from across NSW to drive solutions. Domestic, family, and sexual violence is preventable; we cannot accept the status quo.

“This funding announcement is an important step to doing better, to recognising that domestic violence supports need to be applied not just from a crisis response perspective, but with an eye to disrupting the cycle of domestic and family violence early and permanently.

Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison said:

“Our government is committed to seeing dramatic improvements in the rates of domestic, family, and sexual violence through a preventative approach, as outlined in NSW’s first dedicated whole-ofgovernment domestic, family and sexual violence Pathways to Prevention strategy.

“There is no shying away from the horrendous statistics, and the tragic stories behind each one of those statistics.

“What we need to focus on, and what we are committed to achieving, is appropriate, ongoing, and all-encompassing wraparound support for victim-survivors, as well as ensuring we learn from their experiences and do better for communities across NSW.”

Attorney General Michael Daley said:

“In the coming weeks we will confirm and announce the details of $45 million to improve bail laws and justice system responses, ensuring we are reviewing domestic violence supports and systems from every angle.

“NSW needs a coordinated approach across multiple fronts to disrupt domestic violence – that is what this suite of funding initiatives is designed to achieve.”

Minister for Corrections Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“This is important funding to expand and improve programs that stop cycles of violence, including by reducing reoffending.

“There isn’t any excuse for family and domestic violence. We’re ensuring offenders can access the specialised programs they need to help change their behaviour.”