Federal Budget Analysis
Within the federal budget 2023-24, a further $326.7 million will be funded across four years (with $19.4 million per year ongoing) to deliver women’s safety initiatives under the National Plan, including:
- $159 million over two years from 2023–24 to extend the Family and Domestic and Sexual Violence Responses National Partnership Agreement with state and territory governments and to continue to address service gaps to and support frontline service delivery
- $38.2 million to extend the current Escaping Violence Payment and Temporary Visa Holders Experiencing Violence Pilot to January 2025.
The Federal Government committed $194 million over five years to support the dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan under the National Plan which is still in development, including:
- $145.3 million over four years from 2023–24, including a provision of $128.6 million in the Contingency Reserve, to support activities which address immediate safety concerns for First Nations women and children who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, family, and domestic and sexual violence
- $23.2 million over four years from 2023–24 to support families impacted by violence and at risk of engaging in the child protection system, through programs aimed at early intervention and recovery and supporting families
- $17.6 million over two years from 2023–24 to deliver on family safety initiatives under the Action Plan
- $7.8 million over four years from 2022–23 (and $4.0 million in 2027–28) to support the development of a standalone First Nations National Plan for Family Safety.
Safe and Equal stated that despite these commitments, much more needs to be invested into women’s safety initiatives including a commitment from both state and federal government to long-term, adequate funding for specialist family violence services, who continue to grapple with increasingly unsustainable demand and limited resources.
(Source: Safe and Equal Member Bulletin, 12.5.23)
