8/26/2020 Urgent support for frontline domestic violence services | Department of Social Services Ministers

Urgent support for frontline domesc violence services

4 April 2020 Joint with: Marise Payne, Minister for Women and Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Morrison Government will provide $32.5 million to states and territories to immediately bolster frontline services to protect those most at risk of domesc violence as a result of living changes enforced due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This week Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Marise Payne and Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator the Hon Anne Ruston chaired the inaugural Council of Australian Governments Women’s Safety Council.

It was agreed that, as a priority, funding should be directed to safer housing and emergency accommodaon, counselling and outreach, crisis support and helplines as well as men’s behavioural change programs and other perpetrator intervenons.

Minister Payne said that another key priority area was assisng frontline services to explore new technology-based support methods.

“Given these unprecedented circumstances we know there will be a need for many frontline services to transion to online or telephone-based services,” Minister Payne said.

“These changes need to be carefully managed to ensure that services can best manage the safety and privacy of women seeking support.”

Minister Ruston said we need to ensure homes could be made as safe as possible given the direcon to stay home to control the spread of the coronavirus.

“But we are also acutely aware that there will be significant need for emergency accommodaon that is innovave and flexible parcularly in light of health requirements for quaranne and self-isolaon that may prevent women and children being able to stay with friends or family,” Minister Ruston said.

This inial round of funding includes a fixed 3 per cent payment to all states and territories with the remainder provided on a per capita basis with a small conngency set aside. The money will flow this month to support services through to June 30, 2020.

“We have reflected in the funding model the unique challenges in regional, rural and remote locaons,” Minister Ruston said.

Under the Morrison Government’s $150 million response package we will connue to work with states and territories to monitor the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and allocate the further $97.5 million over the next six months to where it is most needed.

Minister Payne and Minster Ruston thanked the states and territories for their commitment to work collaboravely to make sure women and children were best supported during this me.

$20 million has already been commied to Commonwealth funded iniaves including 1800RESPECT, Mensline and a new naonal informaon campaign with clear informaon on where Australians experiencing violence during this period can access support.

https://ministers.dss.gov.au/media-releases/5706 1/1