Billions aimed at violence
Print
National Cabinet has agreed to a $4.7 billion plan to tackle the growing crisis of family and gender-based violence.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a significant funding initiative after a meeting with premiers and chief ministers in Canberra, following recommendations from two key reviews, the Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches (PDF) and the Mundy review into legal assistance services.
The plan, which will be implemented over five years starting from 1 July 2025, allocates $3.9 billion from the federal government to enhance legal assistance services.
It also includes a further $351 million for specialist services for women and children, as well as programs aimed at changing the behaviour of male perpetrators of violence.
This funding will be matched by the states and territories, totalling $702 million in joint investments.
Albanese characterised the violence as a “national crisis,” calling for urgent action to ensure the safety of women and children.
“We know that a nationally coordinated approach is required to address this national crisis. We must act to ensure women are safe,” he said.
The package will focus on early intervention strategies to prevent violence from escalating.
Key initiatives include the development of best-practice risk assessment principles, enhanced data sharing between courts and police, and trials of new deterrence models aimed at high-risk offenders.
Domestic Violence Threat Assessment Centres will also be established to monitor individuals considered at risk of committing homicide.
In a bid to support the legal framework addressing gender-based violence, $800 million will be dedicated to a new National Access to Justice Partnership.
This will see a long-term investment in community legal services, with a particular focus on assisting First Nations communities and those experiencing family violence. The National Cabinet also agreed to address systemic factors contributing to domestic violence.
These include a review of alcohol laws and measures to tackle the impacts of violent online pornography.
The announcement follows the government's earlier pledge of nearly $1 million for additional measures such as supporting women leaving abusive relationships and banning deepfake pornography.
The collective response will be overseen by the Women and Women’s Safety Ministers’ Meeting, in an attempt to ensure ongoing cooperation between state, territory, and federal governments in the fight against gender-based violence.