We are glad to see steps made in the 2024/25 Commonwealth Budget to support victim-survivors of domestic and family violence.
But disappointingly, the Budget failed to deliver the urgently needed investments in front-line services working with men to end their use of violence and services working directly with victim-survivors escaping violence.
The entire family violence sector were incredibly disappointed there was not more to support to build a strong, sustainable service sector.
While we appreciated the announcement of new research funding on pathways into and out of using violence we continue to seek innovation funding to support the development of a broader suite of targeted and effective men’s behaviour change interventions.
We need a National Perpetration Strategy
It was good to see support for the independent expert panel undertaking a rapid review on ending cycles of violence, especially with its focus on highrisk perpetrators.
But, right now, we have a highly fragmented approach to ending perpetration of family violence. So, the $3.9 million in resourcing to support whole-of-government coordination is a welcome step. The Government needs to ensure coordination and collaboration between government and non-government service providers. But we urgently need a specific commitment from Government to develop a comprehensive National Perpetration Strategy.
Below is an overview of key initiatives announced in relation to the work to end men’s use of family violence:
Developing a best-practice evidence base to end men’s use of violence
- $4.3 million in 2024–25 to commission Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety to further build the evidence base on pathways into and out of perpetration of family, domestic and sexual violence (Budget Paper 2, p. 157)
- $1.3 million over two years from 2023–24 for a rapid review of targeted prevention approaches to violence against women, with a panel of experts to provide advice to Government on preventing gender-based violence, including a focus on homicides (Budget Paper 2, p. 157)
There were a number of initiatives announced to support workforce development, sector coordination, and outcome measument including:
- $427.4 million over four years from 2024–2025 to establish a new Commonwealth Prac Payment to support student placements (Budget Paper 2, p. 62)
- $3.9 million over four years for the Office for Women to support whole-of-government coordination (Budget Paper 2, p. 157)
- $5.9 million over two years to establish and develop the Office of the National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People (Budget Paper 2, p. 171)
- $100 million Outcomes Fund to try to make contractual payments to states, territories and service providers based on the delivery of agreed, measurable outcomes in local communities. We are very supportive of initiatives that centre genuine community-led change, genuine partnership and capability building.
There were a number of initiatives announced to support victim-survivors. These include:
- $756.4 million over five years from 2023–24 to continue the Leaving Violence Program
- $16.5 million over five years from 2023–24 to continue providing legal assistance for temporary visa holders leaving a violent relationship (Budget Paper 2, p. 176)
- $6 million over two years for trauma-informed healthcare support for women and their children experiencing domestic and family violence or homelessness (Budget Paper 2, p. 132)
Support for First Nations communities
- $45.2 million for services delivered in partnership with First Nations leaders and service providers
Education initiatives
- $18.7 million over four years from 2024–25 (and an additional $28.8 million from 2028–29 to 2034–35) to introduce a National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence from 1 January 2025 (Budget Paper 2, p. 63).
- $19.4 million over two years from 2024–25 to establish a National Student Ombudsman (Budget Paper 2, p. 63)
The following initiatives promise to fill key gaps in the work to address family violence, but more detail is needed, especially on how many of these initiatives sit within over-arching plans to end family violence:
- $4.6 million in 2024–25 for a short-term extension of Custody Notification Services (Budget Paper 2, p. 158)
- $44.1 million in 2024–25 to address funding shortfalls through the National Legal Assistance Partnership and to Family Violence Prevention Legal Services (Budget Paper 2, p.51)
- $6.5 million in 2024–25 to develop a pilot of age verification technologies to restrict access to harmful online content (Budget Paper 2, p. 150)
- $109.9 million over two years from 2024–25 to support enhanced collaboration and information across states and territories through the National Criminal Intelligence System (Budget Paper 2, p. 46)
- $71.7 million over four years to design and delivery of mental health multidisciplinary services (Budget Paper 2, p. 115)
- $4.8 million over two years for The Fathering Project (Budget Paper 2, p. 168)
- $4.3 million over two years for the Supporting Expecting and Parenting Teens Program administered by the Brave Foundation (Budget Paper 2, p. 169)
- $161.3 million over four years from 2024–25 to develop and implement a police-managed National Firearms Register (Budget Paper 2, p.50)
- $35.9 million over four years to extend and enhance the delivery of mental health and suicide prevention services (Budget Paper 2, p. 115)
We have concerns about the impact of the following initiatives on the safety and dignity of victim-survivors, especially those from the most marginalised communities. More information is needed on the following announcements:
- $6.4 million over five years from 2023–24 for enforcement of mutual obligation rules for income support payments (Budget Paper 2, p. 92)
- $3.5 billion over three years from 2023–24 for generalised, rather than targeted, cost of living relief (Budget Paper 2, p. 179)
- $618.4 million over four years for online mental health services (Budget Paper 2, p. 116)
