Latest news with #DeliaDonovan
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Jails funded as DV services stretched to breaking point
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 "But they don't address the reality that existing services are stretched to breaking point - operating on outdated funding models that don't come close to covering today's costs," she said.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 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
ABC News
4 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Domestic violence peak body concerned NSW budget boost fails to address 'waitlist issues'
The peak body supporting family and domestic violence victim-survivors in NSW says a half-a-billion dollar budget commitment does not address the immediate day-to-day needs of a sector struggling to cope. The state government announced this month's budget will contain spending to provide more resources to support victim-survivors who have to navigate the justice system. Premier Chris Minns on Monday described the package as "a crucial investment in justice in NSW". The announcement includes an additional $227 million over five years for government support services which help people access counselling and financial assistance. The government said it would also provide a total of $272 million towards bolstering its own frontline domestic violence services. The budget commitment provides $49 million for a hub to support victim-survivors going through the legal system, $34 million to upgrade the Downing Centre courts precinct and $48 million to fund more prosecutors. "It would be virtually unimpeachable that the justice system and our court system can be incredibly intimidating for vulnerable people in difficult circumstances, perhaps the most difficult circumstances of their life," Mr Minns said. The government also announced it would offer five-year contracts for domestic violence support services in a bid to provide "funding certainty" to struggling organisations. However, Domestic Violence NSW CEO Delia Donovan said while the funding announcement was welcomed, overwhelmed frontline organisations needed a boost to keep their doors open. "We had asked for $163 million baseline funding to go to services … baseline funding has not been upped for 10 years," she said. She said the announcement would not alleviate the two-month waitlists at services. "We know demand is at 95 per cent across services, that people are reaching out for help and the waitlists are too high. "Parts [of the justice package] of course are welcomed … but this isn't about service reform for us, this is justice reform and it's simply not good enough." As part of the budget cash splash, there will also be $100 million to increase the capacity of the prison system. The premier said make-up of the funding package was partly because the "prison population had increased by 1,000" people since his government took office. Full Stop Australia CEO Karen Bevan said the funding initiatives for the justice system "were absolutely critical" to help domestic violence victim-survivors recover and heal after going through the legal process. "Some of the announcements today make a real change for the experience of victim-survivors in court and that's critical," she said.
