The National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women - Immediate Government Actions April 2009  

When violence occurs victims and their children need access to support services that are responsive to their needs. The Council found that women need access to high-quality crisis and support services that can respond to women’s need for personal safety, housing and counselling. The Council recommended urgent action is taken to establish a new professionally staffed telephone and online crisis support service; ¹⁶ implement reforms on domestic violence and homelessness put forward in The Road Home: A National Approach to Reducing Homelessness; ¹⁷ audit existing crisis services for their accessibility to all women; ¹⁸ ensure children exposed to violence do not have their safety or wellbeing compromised; ¹⁹ and, fund healing centres for Indigenous communities. ²⁰

A high-quality and accessible service system is critical to the Government’s effort to reduce the impact of violence against women. While many services are administered by State and Territory Governments, the Australian Government contributes funding in important programs such as homelessness and has a role in working with States and Territories to develop quality standards.

Domestic violence is a primary cause of homelessness. ²¹ Where women are forced to leave home due to violence they will benefit from the Australian Government’s $8.5 billion investment in social housing (the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness, The Road Home and A Place to Call Home) which will provide women with improved housing options including exit points from crisis support services. Safe at Home programs will be funded to assist women to stay safely in their homes through joint action from police, health and community services. Safe at Home programs also provide funds to improve home security or short term rental accommodation. Additional children’s workers will also be employed in crisis accommodation services. This funding represents the largest ever investment by the Australian Government in social housing.

The Australian Government is working with the States and Territories to respond to the needs of children affected by violence through the development of a National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children. The National Framework is being considered by the Council of Australian Governments and will provide a national approach to protecting children. It will have a clear focus on preventing child abuse and neglect and intervening early when children are at risk.

The Government’s new Family Support Program is part of the Commonwealth’s effort under the National Framework to bring together a range of early intervention and specialist services to better focus government programs on the needs of families and children at risk. The transition to the new program commenced in February 2009.

The Government is developing a National Disability Strategy. The details of the Strategy are currently under consideration, including how the Government may improve the safety of women with disabilities.

Newly arrived female migrants and refugees who have experienced sexual assault or domestic and family violence continue to benefit from the Australian Government’s Complex Case Support Services as well as other settlement services. In addition, Australia includes a visa category for women and their children who are in danger of victimisation, harassment or serious abuse because of their gender.

Programs to promote healing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and respond to family violence continue to be important priorities for the Government. In response to past policies and practices that have impacted the health and family life of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the Government will establish an Indigenous Healing Foundation. The Foundation will have a strong focus on supporting families and communities overcome grief and trauma with a strong focus on the Stolen Generations. Support will also include addressing the impacts of addition, family violence, sexual abuse and suicide.

$15.5 million is provided under the Family Violence Partnership and Family Violence Regional Activities programs to support services that work to reduce the incidence and impact of family violence, including child abuse and neglect, in Indigenous communities. Funding is being provided to support healing services in Western Australia. The Northern Territory Emergency Response has funded nine cooling-off centres for men, 22 safe houses for women and ten staff to support a Mobile Child Protection Team.

In addition, the Australian Government will provide $12.5 million for a new national telephone and online crisis service. The new service will be run by professional staff and make active referrals to follow up services. The new service will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will build on existing specialist services. Consultations on the new model have already begun.

16. Action 3.3.1.
17. Action 3.2.1.
18. Action 3.2.2.
19. Action 3.3.4.
20. Action 3.3.2.
21. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2007) Homeless people in SAAP, Supported Accommodation Assistance Program National Data Collection Agency Annual Report 2005-06, AIHW Catalogue No. HOU156. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Marcolin, S. (2005) Female SAAP clients and children escaping domestic and family violence 2003-04, Bulletin Issue 30, Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.