Jails funded as DV services stretched to breaking point
More than half a billion dollars will go towards dealing with domestic violence to undo years of "neglect", with plans to better support victim-survivors and keep alleged abusers behind bars.
Non-government support services will get more certainty around funding with five-year contracts promised, the NSW government said on Monday.
Domestic Violence NSW chief executive Delia Donovan said that would improve service sustainability while other reforms were important building blocks.
"But they don't address the reality that existing services are stretched to breaking point - operating on outdated funding models that don't come close to covering today's costs," she said.
"Too often, domestic and family violence workers are tied to short-term contracts through pilots, and this creates a lot of uncertainty."
Premier Chris Minns said his government was providing more funding than any predecessor but the budget was also stretched.
"It may not be enough for advocates and they may be demanding more but we believe we're pushing the outer edges of what's possible at the moment," he told reporters.
About half of the money is earmarked for a $227 million injection into the state's victims' support service across five years to help victim-survivors access counselling and financial assistance.
Almost $50 million will be spent on making it easier for them to give evidence, with remote courtrooms alleviating the risk of attending the same court complex as their abuser.
The funds will also provide counselling, legal aid and financial advice at a hub expected to open in late 2027.
An estimated one-in-four women and one-in-eight men in Australia have experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member since the age of 15.
Recent bail changes for alleged domestic violence offenders have coincided with more inmates on remand, pushing the state's prison population to near record highs.
More than $100 million will go towards corrective services to help cope with the increase.
Another change ensures bail decisions will be made by magistrates, following the high-profile April 2024 murder of Molly Ticehurst in Forbes, allegedly by her former boyfriend Daniel Billings, who was granted bail by a registrar about two weeks earlier.
Ten virtual courtrooms are planned to support remote bail hearings and five new physical ones will be built in Sydney's city centre.
NSW Law Society president Jennifer Ball also welcomed an almost $50 million boost to fund more public prosecutors.
"But we will be examining the NSW budget ... to determine whether sufficient funding will also be allocated to Legal Aid NSW and Aboriginal Legal Service to meet the significant extra demand new prosecutors will have on the criminal justice system," she said.
The budget announcements will lay the foundation for longer-term reforms, Domestic Violence Prevention Minister Jodie Harrison said.
"This is work that previous governments have neglected for many years," she said.
The state budget will be handed down on June 24.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Lifeline 13 11 14
Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
Support services will get longer funding timelines to help more than a million domestic violence survivors as spending on jails and courts increases.
More than half a billion dollars will go towards dealing with domestic violence to undo years of "neglect", with plans to better support victim-survivors and keep alleged abusers behind bars.
Non-government support services will get more certainty around funding with five-year contracts promised, the NSW government said on Monday.
Domestic Violence NSW chief executive Delia Donovan said that would improve service sustainability while other reforms were important building blocks.
"But they don't address the reality that existing services are stretched to breaking point - operating on outdated funding models that don't come close to covering today's costs," she said.
"Too often, domestic and family violence workers are tied to short-term contracts through pilots, and this creates a lot of uncertainty."
Premier Chris Minns said his government was providing more funding than any predecessor but the budget was also stretched.
"It may not be enough for advocates and they may be demanding more but we believe we're pushing the outer edges of what's possible at the moment," he told reporters.
About half of the money is earmarked for a $227 million injection into the state's victims' support service across five years to help victim-survivors access counselling and financial assistance.
Almost $50 million will be spent on making it easier for them to give evidence, with remote courtrooms alleviating the risk of attending the same court complex as their abuser.
The funds will also provide counselling, legal aid and financial advice at a hub expected to open in late 2027.
An estimated one-in-four women and one-in-eight men in Australia have experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member since the age of 15.
Recent bail changes for alleged domestic violence offenders have coincided with more inmates on remand, pushing the state's prison population to near record highs.
More than $100 million will go towards corrective services to help cope with the increase.
Another change ensures bail decisions will be made by magistrates, following the high-profile April 2024 murder of Molly Ticehurst in Forbes, allegedly by her former boyfriend Daniel Billings, who was granted bail by a registrar about two weeks earlier.
Ten virtual courtrooms are planned to support remote bail hearings and five new physical ones will be built in Sydney's city centre.
NSW Law Society president Jennifer Ball also welcomed an almost $50 million boost to fund more public prosecutors.
"But we will be examining the NSW budget ... to determine whether sufficient funding will also be allocated to Legal Aid NSW and Aboriginal Legal Service to meet the significant extra demand new prosecutors will have on the criminal justice system," she said.
The budget announcements will lay the foundation for longer-term reforms, Domestic Violence Prevention Minister Jodie Harrison said.
"This is work that previous governments have neglected for many years," she said.
The state budget will be handed down on June 24.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Lifeline 13 11 14
Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
Support services will get longer funding timelines to help more than a million domestic violence survivors as spending on jails and courts increases.
More than half a billion dollars will go towards dealing with domestic violence to undo years of "neglect", with plans to better support victim-survivors and keep alleged abusers behind bars.
Non-government support services will get more certainty around funding with five-year contracts promised, the NSW government said on Monday.
Domestic Violence NSW chief executive Delia Donovan said that would improve service sustainability while other reforms were important building blocks.
"But they don't address the reality that existing services are stretched to breaking point - operating on outdated funding models that don't come close to covering today's costs," she said.
"Too often, domestic and family violence workers are tied to short-term contracts through pilots, and this creates a lot of uncertainty."
Premier Chris Minns said his government was providing more funding than any predecessor but the budget was also stretched.
"It may not be enough for advocates and they may be demanding more but we believe we're pushing the outer edges of what's possible at the moment," he told reporters.
About half of the money is earmarked for a $227 million injection into the state's victims' support service across five years to help victim-survivors access counselling and financial assistance.
Almost $50 million will be spent on making it easier for them to give evidence, with remote courtrooms alleviating the risk of attending the same court complex as their abuser.
The funds will also provide counselling, legal aid and financial advice at a hub expected to open in late 2027.
An estimated one-in-four women and one-in-eight men in Australia have experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member since the age of 15.
Recent bail changes for alleged domestic violence offenders have coincided with more inmates on remand, pushing the state's prison population to near record highs.
More than $100 million will go towards corrective services to help cope with the increase.
Another change ensures bail decisions will be made by magistrates, following the high-profile April 2024 murder of Molly Ticehurst in Forbes, allegedly by her former boyfriend Daniel Billings, who was granted bail by a registrar about two weeks earlier.
Ten virtual courtrooms are planned to support remote bail hearings and five new physical ones will be built in Sydney's city centre.
NSW Law Society president Jennifer Ball also welcomed an almost $50 million boost to fund more public prosecutors.
"But we will be examining the NSW budget ... to determine whether sufficient funding will also be allocated to Legal Aid NSW and Aboriginal Legal Service to meet the significant extra demand new prosecutors will have on the criminal justice system," she said.
The budget announcements will lay the foundation for longer-term reforms, Domestic Violence Prevention Minister Jodie Harrison said.
"This is work that previous governments have neglected for many years," she said.
The state budget will be handed down on June 24.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Lifeline 13 11 14
Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
Support services will get longer funding timelines to help more than a million domestic violence survivors as spending on jails and courts increases.
More than half a billion dollars will go towards dealing with domestic violence to undo years of "neglect", with plans to better support victim-survivors and keep alleged abusers behind bars.
Non-government support services will get more certainty around funding with five-year contracts promised, the NSW government said on Monday.
Domestic Violence NSW chief executive Delia Donovan said that would improve service sustainability while other reforms were important building blocks.
"But they don't address the reality that existing services are stretched to breaking point - operating on outdated funding models that don't come close to covering today's costs," she said.
"Too often, domestic and family violence workers are tied to short-term contracts through pilots, and this creates a lot of uncertainty."
Premier Chris Minns said his government was providing more funding than any predecessor but the budget was also stretched.
"It may not be enough for advocates and they may be demanding more but we believe we're pushing the outer edges of what's possible at the moment," he told reporters.
About half of the money is earmarked for a $227 million injection into the state's victims' support service across five years to help victim-survivors access counselling and financial assistance.
Almost $50 million will be spent on making it easier for them to give evidence, with remote courtrooms alleviating the risk of attending the same court complex as their abuser.
The funds will also provide counselling, legal aid and financial advice at a hub expected to open in late 2027.
An estimated one-in-four women and one-in-eight men in Australia have experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member since the age of 15.
Recent bail changes for alleged domestic violence offenders have coincided with more inmates on remand, pushing the state's prison population to near record highs.
More than $100 million will go towards corrective services to help cope with the increase.
Another change ensures bail decisions will be made by magistrates, following the high-profile April 2024 murder of Molly Ticehurst in Forbes, allegedly by her former boyfriend Daniel Billings, who was granted bail by a registrar about two weeks earlier.
Ten virtual courtrooms are planned to support remote bail hearings and five new physical ones will be built in Sydney's city centre.
NSW Law Society president Jennifer Ball also welcomed an almost $50 million boost to fund more public prosecutors.
"But we will be examining the NSW budget ... to determine whether sufficient funding will also be allocated to Legal Aid NSW and Aboriginal Legal Service to meet the significant extra demand new prosecutors will have on the criminal justice system," she said.
The budget announcements will lay the foundation for longer-term reforms, Domestic Violence Prevention Minister Jodie Harrison said.
"This is work that previous governments have neglected for many years," she said.
The state budget will be handed down on June 24.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Lifeline 13 11 14
Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AU Financial Review
a day ago
- AU Financial Review
Second dwellings, quick approvals the way to housing target: Minns
NSW Premier Chris Minns has confirmed that the government wants to expand complying developments to make it easier to renovate and build homes, including second dwellings in rural and regional areas. But Minns put the hard word on the Commonwealth to provide more upfront funding for housing reforms, echoing calls from NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey on behalf of the states before this week's Economic Reform Roundtable in Canberra.
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
Grim warning for state's biggest export
Premier Chris Minns has warned that NSW's biggest export, black coal, is under threat as demand dries up. Mr Minns told budget estimates that Southeast Asia nations had indicated they would reduce their purchases of black coal 'to a point where they don't buy any at all'. 'Our largest export is still black coal, and it still goes to effectively a single market,' Mr Minns said on Wednesday, adding it accounted for much of the $40bn in exports. 'Now, those countries will continue to buy it, and there's a future for those jobs. I accept that. 'But, they've all indicated to us, over a different time horizons, in different ways, they'll be buying less of it in the future to the point where they don't buy any of it at all. 'NSW is facing a situation where our single biggest export, we are being told in explicit terms, will decline in the years ahead.' Premier Chris Minns says the state can't rely on black coal forever. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia Australian coal is predominantly exported to countries in Asia and Southeast Asia, including Japan, China, India, South Korea, and Taiwan. A NSW government trade and investment strategy, released in May, indicated a need to diversify the state's exports, including in Southeast Asia. This includes plans for a $100bn increase in goods and services exports by 2035. The revelations come as Mr Minns is questioned about the conservation hunting Bill, which is before a parliamentary inquiry and seeks to expand hunting rights. Mr Minns indicated a 'bounty' scheme, in which NSW hunters were paid for kills of invasive species, was being considered, although he said it did not 'have blanket support'. He urged for a focus on 'export industries native to us', namely the state's agriculture sector, with combating native species being integral to that. Glencore's massive Ravensworth open cut coal mine northwest of Singleton. NewsWire / Peter Lorimer. Credit: News Corp Australia 'We want to grow our agriculture sector. It's a huge and important part of the future growth, future economic growth for the state,' Mr Minns said. 'But, that's not going to happen if both the actual product is threatened by invasive species or the perception about Australian agriculture and primary products is threatened as a result of invasive species. 'So, I just think it's all hands on deck.' The Bill has faced pushback from nature conservation groups who say such hunting would not have a meaningful impact on feral animal populations.
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
‘Explicit terms': Premier Chris Minns says NSW told coal imports to Asia will end
Premier Chris Minns has warned that NSW's biggest export, black coal, is under threat as demand dries up. Mr Minns told budget estimates that Southeast Asia nations had indicated they would reduce their purchases of black coal 'to a point where they don't buy any at all'. 'Our largest export is still black coal, and it still goes to effectively a single market,' Mr Minns said on Wednesday, adding it accounted for much of the $40bn in exports. 'Now, those countries will continue to buy it, and there's a future for those jobs. I accept that. 'But, they've all indicated to us, over a different time horizons, in different ways, they'll be buying less of it in the future to the point where they don't buy any of it at all. 'NSW is facing a situation where our single biggest export, we are being told in explicit terms, will decline in the years ahead.' Australian coal is predominantly exported to countries in Asia and Southeast Asia, including Japan, China, India, South Korea, and Taiwan. A NSW government trade and investment strategy, released in May, indicated a need to diversify the state's exports, including in Southeast Asia. This includes plans for a $100bn increase in goods and services exports by 2035. The revelations come as Mr Minns is questioned about the conservation hunting Bill, which is before a parliamentary inquiry and seeks to expand hunting rights. Mr Minns indicated a 'bounty' scheme, in which NSW hunters were paid for kills of invasive species, was being considered, although he said it did not 'have blanket support'. He urged for a focus on 'export industries native to us', namely the state's agriculture sector, with combating native species being integral to that. 'We want to grow our agriculture sector. It's a huge and important part of the future growth, future economic growth for the state,' Mr Minns said. 'But, that's not going to happen if both the actual product is threatened by invasive species or the perception about Australian agriculture and primary products is threatened as a result of invasive species. 'So, I just think it's all hands on deck.'
