Page 1931 - Week 06 - Thursday, 9 June 2016
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The government has put this response together based on the evidence and the experience of the leaders in the field and three extensive reports, together with ongoing consultation with service providers. I look forward to continuing this work together as we implement our response.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Hinder.
MR HINDER: Minister, what investment is the government making to address family violence at the earliest possible stage; and why is early intervention important?
MS BERRY: We know that for many people who want to leave family or domestic violence, a major challenge is being able to cope financially. That is why this budget allocates $315,000 over four years to fast-track access to financial support for women wanting to get themselves out of a violent situation. This will provide quick access to the existing Housing ACT bond loan scheme, which assists people to find rental accommodation and meet the short-term needs of themselves and their children arising from leaving the home. This is the support that many women have told us that they need. It allows them to keep their independence, get away from violence and, if need be, get a fresh start.
As a government we also want to support victims of violence to stay in their homes, where that is the appropriate step, and to remove the person at risk of offending. That is why we are providing funding of $964,000 over three years for an innovative breathing space program, which will be one of two programs of its type in the Southern Hemisphere. The program involves a three-month therapeutic residential program for men who have committed or are at risk of committing violence in the home, in addition to up to nine months of support for women and children to remain in their homes. It is an innovative program that brings together existing services and new funding to support the whole family, aiming for less upheaval for victims and changing behaviour in the long term.
When violence becomes part of people’s lives, it has effects for generations and for whole communities. This funding has a focus on stopping it before it starts.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mrs Jones.
MRS JONES: Minister, what additional or current statistics are being collected by the government regarding this area of grave concern to allow for measuring the effectiveness of a specific response?
MS BERRY: I thank Mrs Jones for her question. It is very important over the next four years, as this funding package is rolled out, through conversations with the experts in the sector, that we do see it is actually making a difference, that we do see things turning around, and that we as a community get the chance to have a significant change in the way that we address violence in our community.
Ultimately, all of us want it to end. So I will be working very closely with support services here in the ACT but also with my counterparts across the country—women’s
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