Domestic violence initiatives are front and centre in today’s State Budget.
More than $350 million will be spent over four years to provide greater protection for women, children and men.
This is in addition to the investment the Government makes each year to combat the scourge of domestic and family violence through mainstream services in justice, police, health, child protection, social housing and homelessness services.
Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Pru Goward said the funding will provide more support services and accommodation options for domestic and family violence victims and interventions to hold perpetrators to account.
“We will continue to roll out the Safer Pathway program across NSW with 15 new sites, investing $13 million in 2017-18 ensuring a multi-agency response to high risk victims,” Ms Goward said.
“Perpetrators and reoffenders will be targeted with a commitment of two further Police High Risk Offender Teams to be rolled out over the next year.”
The NSW Government will also invest:
• $25 million for Start Safely, to help people escaping violence move into stable housing in the private rental market
• $10.4 million for behaviour change interventions for high-risk offenders
• $10 million for the next round of the Domestic and Family Violence Innovation Fund to invest in innovative prevention, early intervention and crisis responses
• $10 million of new spending for NSW Health to enhance responses to sexual assault, violence, abuse and neglect
• $6.2 million for Staying Home Leaving Violence to support women and their children to remain safely at home
• $5.1 million for the NSW Police High Risk Offender Teams
• $4.9 million for NGO-led community-based perpetrator interventions
• $3.7 million in support for the Integrated Domestic and Family Violence Services Program, a co-ordinated multi-agency initiative to prevent the escalation of domestic and family violence
• $840,000 for new GPS trackers to improve victim safety
