Record Funding Boost for Domestic and Family Violence
The Finocchiaro CLP Government will provide record ongoing funding of $36 million a year to address domestic, family and sexual violence.
Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence Robyn Cahill said addressing DFSV required a long-term commitment, which is why record ongoing funding, to be outlined in the 2025-26 NT Budget, was vital.
The funding will ensure those impacted by DFSV across the Territory would be better supported, and it would also be targeted to earlier intervention and help address the root causes of such offending.
“In eight years under Labor, domestic violence assaults increased 81% across the Territory and we need to make sure these programs are as effective as they can be with real outcomes,” said Ms Cahill.
“An example of achieving real outcomes, the Circuit Breaker program has been a huge success and has been rolled out across the Territory, with funding of $6.5m in the budget and ongoing future years.
“The Finocchiaro CLP Government is working with the sector to identify what works and what doesn’t, so we can focus service delivery where it is most needed, at the same time addressing the root causes of the scourge that is domestic family and sexual violence.
“The first step is to continue existing frontline services due to end in June 2025 to June 2026 under the previous Budget, providing those services with certainty whilst the final implementation phase of the Domestic, family and sexual violence reduction framework 2018 to 2028 is progressed.”
Ms Cahill added: “Our government promised 2025 would be a year of action, certainty and security and that is what we are delivering through this funding, which is focused on taking action and achieving tangible outcomes and making the Territory a safer place for our community, especially women and children.”
The $36 million a year increase will result in record ongoing funding for DFSV, well beyond the original time-limited commitment of $180 million over five years until 2030.
2025-26 domestic, family and sexual violence funding breakdown:
NEW PROGRAMS
Circuit Breaker – $6.55 million
Co-responder early intervention with NT Police – $6.26 million
Offender programs in prison – $1.8 million
DFSV resource centre – $1.5 million
Remote safe houses – $500,000
Specialist health response – $400,000
Community innovation activities – $250,000
EXPANDED PROGRAMS
Specialist services funding for integrated response – $5.2 million
Programs in prison for people committing DFSV – $1.9 million
Family Safety framework – $1.57 million
Specialist DFV courts – $1.07 million
ONGOING PROGRAMS (previously funded year on year)
Programs in community settings for people committing DFSV – $3.4 million
Whole of government policy and coordination – $2.57 million
Primary prevention grant program – $1.4 million
Specialist witness support – $850,000
Counselling for women prisoners – $500,000
Risk assessment by universal services – $250,000
https://nt.gov.au/