South Australian women and children who are experiencing violence and abuse at home will have access to increased support thanks to a $19 million funding boost from the Federal Government.
The new, $260 million National Partnership on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Responses 2021-23 comes following an additional $9.8 million injection to support at-risk South Australians during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic – and all funding has now been allocated towards new support and preventative measures.
The new funding will enable some existing programs to continue and the Marshall Liberal Government will continue to work with the domestic violence sector to determine where funding is needed most.
The initial $9.8 million provided under the COVID-19 Partnership enabled the Marshall Liberal Government to fast track and roll-out a number of new DV support and intervention initiatives during the pandemic, including, but not limited to:
- Opening new regional safety hubs in Mt Gambier, Whyalla, Port Pirie, Goolwa and Port Lincoln as well as targeted DV support funding for our regions.
- Delivering individual support packages for at-risk SA women and children to help them escape family and domestic violence.
- Delivering a new program Safe and Secure Housing offering support, information and advocacy to help women and their children move out of temporary crisis accommodation and into safe, long-term accommodation.
- Funding for various programs to support children of DV victims, including specific programs for Aboriginal women and their children.
- Funding for a state-first 24/7 Men's Referral Service hotline and wrap-around support services for perpetrators.
- Delivering the successful DV advertising campaign – Break the Cycle – with the aim of stopping DV before it's too late. This included nation-first advertising on Tinder, as well as on Facebook, radio and TV.
Minister for Human Services Michelle Lensink said the $19 million injection would enable the Marshall Liberal Government to roll out further supports for at-risk South Australians right across the state.
"Supporting at-risk women and children and stopping the insidious scourge of domestic, family and sexual violence remains our priority," said Minister Lensink.
"This multi-million funding boost means more emergency accommodation services, more individualised support for domestic violence survivors, more capacity to provide wrap around services to vulnerable children and young people, more perpetrator interventions, and more support services to enable women to remain safely in their home."
Assistant Minister for Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Carolyn Power welcomed the additional funding.
"The new $19 million boost is in addition to the Marshall Liberal Government's record $21 million investment towards a suite of new domestic violence measures to support women and children in South Australia," said Mrs Power.
"Every South Australian deserves to live safely and free from violence. This funding will help ensure support and help will continue to be available when people need it."
Minister for Women's Safety Anne Ruston said that the Morrison Government wanted to ensure South Australian women and children have access to the support they need to live free of violence.
"This National Partnership builds on the $130 million the Morrison Government provided to states and territories in 2020 which supported more than 470 family and domestic violence frontline organisations and delivered more than 580 activities and services," said Minister Ruston.
"Sadly, the rates of family, domestic and sexual violence remains persistently high. It is a national shame and we must focus on driving down the level of violence toward zero."
If you, or someone you know, is impacted by sexual assault or family violence, call:
Domestic Violence Crisis Line: 1800 800 098
1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732
