18 June 2024

Frontline services working with men to stop family violence welcomed today’s funding boost for Men’s Behaviour Change Programs (MBCPs) in NSW’s State Budget. An additional $10 million over four years has been allocated for Men’s Behaviour Change Programs, which is a 30% increase to existing funding.

“These programs play an integral role in ending domestic and family violence,” said CEO of No to Violence Phillip Ripper.

“This boost will reduce the close to 500 men currently waiting to access programs across NSW, helping to keep victim-survivors safer.”

“It’s an important step towards ensuring there are accessible interventions to help end men’s use of domestic and family violence in NSW.”

Sian Ord, Family Safety Programs Manager for Relationships Australia NSW which runs MBCPs across NSW, said this boost will “reduce risk to women and children… because the motivation [for men using violence to change their behaviour] is lost the longer they wait for service – increasing the risk of reoffence and court order breaches.”

Mr Ripper said, “It’s critical this boost gets to where it is needed most.”

“In regional and rural areas, it is much harder to recruit and retain qualified staff and to offer a broader range of program options. For example, it’s very difficult for providers to ensure there are interventions for men with additional needs, like alcohol or other drugs misuse or complex mental health conditions.”

“Allocation must increase the availability of culturally appropriate programs, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island men and men from culturally and racially marginalised backgrounds.”

Mr Ripper also said it was promising to see $5 million over four years for research for building understanding of who uses domestic and family violence, and what works best to change their behaviour.

“This research needs to prioritise practice-based knowledge,” he said. “Research needs to be co-designed with victim-survivors and practitioners directly working with men to ensure it addresses the most pressing practice and policy issues. And it needs to be aligned with new research across the country to maximise impact. This emphasises the need for coordinated responses in NSW, and nationally, to people using domestic and family violence.”

No to Violence welcomed increased investment towards preventing and responding to domestic and family violence, as announced in May’s $230 million Emergency Package to address domestic, family and sexual violence.

“It’s particularly pleasing to see funding to implement NSW’s first dedicated primary prevention strategy, specialist workers to support children accompanying their mothers to refuges, and further roll out of the Staying Home Leaving Violence program and Integrated Domestic and Family Violence Service,” said Mr Ripper.

“However, while there is a lot to celebrate, we can’t do the work if frontline sexual, domestic and family violence services are not adequately funded. Funding must reflect the real cost of delivering services.”

For interviews please contact David Sutherland at davids@ntv.org.au or 0405 354 343.

About No to Violence  

No to Violence (NTV) is Australia’s largest national peak body for organisations that work with men who use family violence, providing training, sector development and advocacy across the sector.

NTV also operates the Men’s Referral Service, providing a counselling service and referral pathways directly to men who use violence.