Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled $4.7 billion in funding for a new five-year national plan to combat the national domestic and gendered violence crisis.
Following a meeting of national cabinet this morning, the prime minister said the plan would focus on four areas: supporting frontline services, preventing perpetrators from escalating their violence, providing more support for young victims and addressing the impact of alcohol on violence.
“We know that a nationally coordinated approach is required to address this national crisis,” he said.
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“We must act to ensure women are safe. These horrific and disturbing deaths and vile violence must be prevented.
“Achieving this demands action and change at every level of government but more than that, it also requires action from every part of our society.”
Of the funding, $3.9 billion will be federal money, with the remainder coming from the states and territories.
$800 million will go towards increasing financial support for legal services.
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NSW Premier Chris Minns said that while massive cash injection would help, it needs to be accompanied by a change in societal attitudes.
“Change needs to happen,” he said.
“Part of it is money, part of it is law change but a massive element of reform is a cultural change in the community.”
Minns acknowledged the prevalence of domestic violence in NSW is “not good”, and both he and Albanese said states would need to look to what’s working in Victoria, where numbers are lower than in other parts of the country.
“Let’s be clear, there is still a long way to go,” Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said.
“What has driven these outcomes is we now have data sharing, information sharing…
“But also the other big change Victoria has been the focus on prevention. We have got to do more to stop the violence before it starts.”
Each state and territory will review its current alcohol laws and how they impact family and domestic violence, while Indigenous people will be consulted over new deterrence programs to be trialled in First Nations communities.
The five-year funding plan will begin on July 1 next year.
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The announcement comes after federal Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said states and territories needed to do better to meet targets for hiring new frontline workers.
The ACT is the only jurisdiction that has managed to hire the number of workers it committed to earlier this year.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles had labelled Rishworth’s criticism “pretty unhelpful” given the tight labour market was making finding new employees difficult, and doubled down on that assessment before saying finding more workers was a priority.
“We have provided funding for 500 additional frontline workers and I know that every single premier and chief minister is committed to delivering that,” Albanese said.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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