Dr Marisa Patterson, Tiffany Karlsson, Sue Webeck, Frances Crimmins, Cheryl O’Donnell and Treasurer Chris Steel outside PCYC headquarters in Fairbairn. Photos: Ian Bushnell.
Before the Federal election, Canberra’s community groups dealing with an epidemic of domestic, family and sexual violence did not know if they could maintain services into the next financial year as they faced a funding cliff.
But a $30 million package in the upcoming ACT Budget will keep them running, as well as expanding some of their services.
The Commonwealth is contributing $6 million to the ACT under the Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence National Partnership Agreement.
ACT Treasurer Chris Steel said budgets were about priorities and this particular area was certainly one for the government.
“What I’ve heard through the budget consultation that we undertake before every budget, from community sector organisations and their peak bodies, is that it’s really important that there’s funding certainty to be able to budget properly,” he said.
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Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Marisa Patterson said the violence being experienced around the country amounted to a national emergency.
“We’ve heard the calls from the community sector, our frontline services who do the most incredible job in supporting victim survivors in our community in the time of greatest need,” she said.
The Budget allocates $24 million over four years to:
- Expanding the capacity of Canberra Rape Crisis Centre
- Critical resourcing to the Domestic Violence Crisis Service
- Continuing the PCYC’s Solid Ground early intervention program for young people experiencing DFV
- Expanding the YWCA’s Domestic Violence Support Service to include two specialist children’s workers
- Continuation of the Family Violence Safety Action Program, coordinated by Victim Support ACT
- Continuation of the Victim Survivor Voices Pilot
- Extension of the Safer Families Assistance Program.
Following the receipt of The Long Yarn report, the Budget also allocates $6 million over three years to Aboriginal and community-controlled and led organisations to provide culturally safe services.
This funding will enable the following initiatives:
- Intensive case management services delivered by Yhurwun Bullan
- Continued support for Sisters in Spirit Aboriginal Corporation to provide both individual and systemic advocacy services
- Engagement of WhISPers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Softball Corporation to deliver healing through sport and cultural events
- Ongoing support for Yerrabi Yurwang Child and Family Aboriginal Corporation to continue delivering the NaraGanaWali Strengthening Families Program
- Development and implementation of a community and professional education campaign promoting the message that “violence is not our way”.
Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Marisa Patterson says there is a national emergency.
DVCS CEO Sue Webeck said the funding provided certainty for the service and would help it expand some areas, such as the criminal justice advocacy program, which had seen a 400 per cent increase in demand over the last three years.
“The announcement today enables us to add an additional staff member to that team, which is sorely needed as we see the criminal justice pathway being followed by more and more victim survivors of domestic family and intimate partner violence in the ACT,” she said.
However, the service fell short of meeting demand, with only half of the calls to its crisis line being answered.
“We were facing a critical cliff where we were going to have to reduce services, and we don’t need to do that now, but certainly the demand far outstretches capacity to meet that demand in the ACT. We are triaging and prioritising.
“This funding gives us a strong foothold for the next four years, and hopefully we can build on that year on year to make sure that we are more able to answer the call of every Canberran who reaches out for support.”
Canberra Rape Crisis Centre Tiffany Karlsson said the funding meant that the centre would be able to employ more counselors and improve Indigenous and male counseling services, as well as regular services for all women, men, adults, children in the ACT.
Ms Karlsson said the sexual violence statistics were alarming and they were not improving, with one in three girls and one in five boys in the ACT being survivors of child sexual abuse.
“We also know that one in five women and one in 16 men are victims of sexual violence after the age of 15, and those figures are not improving, so we will be able to use all of the money that the ACT is providing us to support all of those victims survivors and their families across the ACT,” she said.
The funding would also allow the centre to do more sexual consent training across Canberra schools.
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YWCA Canberra CEO Frances Crimmins said the funding would allow it to continue its work breaking the cycle of violence for children and young people.
“Children need that therapeutic response immediately,” she said.
“We’re able to do that in our dedicated properties for women and children because we need to break the cycle of violence. So this funding is well needed.”
Ms Crimmins said all the organisations worked together and supported each other.
“We don’t work in silos,” she said.
“I look at all the people in this room, and we are on the phone supporting one another when we need that support. If DVCS needs housing support and they can’t get it or they’ve got somebody stuck in a hotel, they will phone us. If we’ve got a vacancy, we will take them.
“It’s really important that we have the support from the ACT Office of Domestic Family and Sexual Violence to help with that. It is that interconnected service delivery model that we need.
“This is our community, and that’s how we have to approach ending all gender-based violence.”
