The WA Government today announced a comprehensive 2024-2025 State Budget package to boost supports for victim-survivors.
The funding is informed by the work of the historic Family and Domestic Violence Taskforce, which has now concluded.
The investment is in addition to the $72.6 million of funding announced during the 16 Days in WA campaign in November of last year.
The funding for new and expanded services and supports and key system reform initiatives, includes:
- $53.8 million for Family and Domestic Violence Response Teams including:
- to expand operation to 7 days per week (including public holidays)
- to continue operation of expanded Coordinated Response Services
- the staged rollout of 17 Adult Community Corrections Officers by 2027-28
- to bring forward recruitment of all Family Safety Officers to 2024-25
- $14.2 million for a new Family and Domestic Violence One Stop Hub in the Perth metropolitan area, to be at the new RUAH Centre for Women and Children
- $6.2 million to establish a dedicated organisation that will support and develop family and domestic violence informed workforces
- $4 million to expand two rapid rehousing programs and deliver emergency accommodation for victim-survivors in Leonora, Goldfields
- $4.5 million funding uplift for the men’s behaviour change program ‘Breathing Space’ in Maylands and Calista
- $3.2 million for the Department of Justice to provide victim representation and support at Prisoners Review Board meetings
- $3.1 million to boost capacity of existing family and domestic violence community-based counselling and advocacy services
- $1.9 million to establish a lived experience advisory group to inform policy and service design
- $1.6 million to commence work on a Central Information Point to inform family and domestic violence risk assessment
- $490,000 for a two-year pilot of community-based, short-stay, interventions for mothers and babies who are at risk of, or are victim-survivors of family and domestic violence
- $396,000 for the Department of Justice to undertake consultation on a new family and domestic violence disclosure scheme for victim survivors.
This funding package will be enhanced by a new System Reform Plan, which was a key outcome delivered through the Taskforce.
The Taskforce was convened in September last year to provide advice to Government about ways to strengthen responses to family and domestic violence.
Led by Professor Colleen Hayward AM and Director General of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet Emily Roper, the Taskforce consulted extensively across Government, the community services sector, Aboriginal Community Controlled organisations and people with lived experience to inform a comprehensive plan of reform.
The reform work was specifically focused on making it easier for victim-survivors to navigate the system and to ensure more effective management of risk posed by perpetrators of violence.
