Ms LIZA BUTLER (South Coast) (15:06): My question is addressed to the Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Will the Minister update the House on the historic increase in funding for frontline specialist domestic and family violence programs in this year's budget that will keep more women and children safe?
Ms JODIE HARRISON (Charlestown—Minister for Women, Minister for Seniors, and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault) (15:07): I thank the member for South Coast for the question and for her continued advocacy and work to keep the women and children of the South Coast safe from domestic and family violence. We all know that we must take action as a whole community to support people escaping violence and—really importantly—to stop the violence before it starts. I am very proud to say that the New South Wales Government has strongly backed women and children escaping abuse in the budget handed down today. We have backed women and children with a landmark $184.1 million investment into frontline domestic and family violence support programs. That is a historic 50 per cent across the board increase to the specialist programs that support women and children escaping domestic and family violence every day.
We know that there has been an increased demand for those fantastic specialist services, and we also know that there has been an increase in the complexity of the cases presenting to domestic and family violence services—things like coercive control, technological abuse, financial abuse and other forms of abuse. Those are insidious, complex forms of abuse that we are seeing more of. We know that the sector has been doing everything that it can—indeed, what it needs to do—to keep women and children safe. But we also understand that they need more from government. We are listening and we are acting. Domestic Violence NSW, the domestic violence peak body, has advocated tirelessly for an increase in investment in women and children. Its pre‑budget submission stated:
A 50 per cent increase in core funding would be transformative. …
This funding uplift would mean more women and children can escape violence, access safety, and begin their recovery. It would also mean a specialist domestic and family violence sector with the stability and resources it needs to respond effectively and prevent further harm.
Our investment today means a boost of $76.1 million for Safer Pathway, which is the initial triage and case management service for victim-survivors. It means an additional $54 million will go to Staying Home Leaving Violence, the integrated domestic and family violence service. It means an additional $19.3 million for the Men's Behaviour Change Programs.
Our investment means an additional $17½ million will be available for the Domestic Violence Response Enhancement program, which is a critical after-hours support for women, and an additional $17.2 million for the Specialist Workers for Children and Young People program to break the cycle of violence. The work of the specialist sector is invaluable. Its critical work supports women and children to leave and to heal from violence, and to build a life free from abuse. We thank Domestic Violence NSW, the victim-survivors who bravely continue to share their stories with us, the advocates, the specialist workers and the experts.
Since coming to government, the Minns Labor Government has significantly increased spending on domestic and family violence. Funding has been more than 50 per cent higher than the average in the budgets leading up to 2022-23. The investment in this budget continues our work and paves the way for the critical reform work needed to drive down the prevalence of domestic and family violence in our State. It will break the cycle of violence by building a strong specialist sector that can continue to keep women and children safe, as well as being part of the work to intervene earlier and stop the violence before it starts. I thank Domestic Violence NSW, No to Violence and Kelly Lamb, CEO of Liberty, who joined us today for the announcement. Together we are building a safer New South Wales for everyone.
