Communities and Justice

National Partnership Agreement

The NSW and Commonwealth Government committed a collective $140 million to support domestic, family and sexual violence initiatives. The Commonwealth contributed $80 million under the National Partnership on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Responses 2021-23 to support service providers to deliver critical services, meet demand and support those who need it most. The NSW Government contributed an additional $60 million to further support these efforts.

In addition to the National Partnership with states and territories, the  Australian Government will generate 500 new jobs for frontline and community sector organisations to address staffing shortages in shelters and crisis support services.

The $140 million funding boost is part of the focus on improving victim safety and reducing family violence reoffending. It is in addition to the landmark $484.3 million over four years to provide housing and related support services for women and children experiencing domestic and family violence. 

Phase 1 funding allocation

The first round of funding included a $20 million relief package to support more than 180 NSW specialist frontline services.

This funding enables domestic and family violence needs to be addressed on multiple fronts – with immediate supports like crisis accommodation, housing and legal help, as well as preventative measures like men’s behaviour change programs.

Tailored support for children and young people has also been built into the funding package, which will help ensure this vulnerable cohort receive specialist care.

The package provides extra funding for existing specialist domestic and family violence services, including:

  • Staying Home Leaving Violence to reduce victim-survivor homelessness; $0.746 million
  • Women’s refuges to support women and children in need of crisis accommodation; $6.864 million
  • The Integrated Domestic and Family Violence Services Program, to provide women and their children with the emotional and practical support they need to recover from domestic and family violence; $0.311 million
  • Domestic Violence Response Enhancement to provide after-hours crisis support services for victim-survivors; $0.995 million
  • Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services to help women and children escaping violence with their legal, social and welfare needs; $1.38 million
  • Specialist workers to provide trauma-informed support for children and young people in 20 priority refuges; $6.55million
  • Men’s Behaviour Change Programs and other perpetrator interventions; $1,850,000 
  • Local Support Services for male victim-survivors $0.25 million
  • Men’s Behaviour Change Programs (MBCPs) and ENGAGE workshops; $0.40 million
  • Support for peak organisations (DVNSW, No To Violence and ACON); $0.45 million
  • Frontline services for women and children victim-survivors
  • (Emergency COVID funding to specialist services) ; $0.24 million
  • Relationships Australia Men’s Behaviour Change Programs; $1.85 million 

Phase 2 funding allocation

A further $20 million in funding is being invested into 16 projects under phase 2 of this funding agreement.

More than half of the funding has been allocated to services that directly support victim-survivors to assist in recovery from experienced trauma.

Other projects focus on keeping women safe during court proceedings to ensure more domestic and family violence matters proceed.

This phase also has a focus on improving outcomes for Aboriginal women, either through expanding existing programs or ensuring Aboriginal communities play an active role in the development of future policy, programs and services. 

The package provides funding for existing and future specialist domestic and family violence services. 

Phase 2 funding initiatives and recipients

Initiatives

  • Extend funding for projects initiated under the NSW Government’s Domestic and Family Violence Innovation Fund. $1.44 million. 
    Recipients: Various Non-Government Organisations
  • Trial of on-site hearing support for women domestic violence victim-survivors at NSW Local Courts. $3.24 million.
    Recipient: Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services
  • Package of support for young people in contact with the justice system who have experienced domestic violence and that aims to break the cycle of violence in the home. $2.45 million.
    Recipient: Youth Justice NSW 
  • Enhance and expand the Aboriginal Family Wellbeing and Violence Prevention Program. $2.16 million.
    Recipients: Various Non-Government Organisations 
  • Boost funding for delivery of Men’s Behaviour Change Programs. $2 million.
    Recipients: Various Non-Government Organisations
  • Develop culturally safe and tailored Men’s Behaviour Change Programs. $1.7 million.
    Recipient: Various Non-Government Organisations
  • Establish a NSW Aboriginal Women's Network to provide Aboriginal-led knowledge on domestic and sexual violence issues. $1.668 million.
    Recipient: Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre
  • Enhance and expand ACON’s LGBTQ+ Sexual, Domestic & Family Violence Program. $1.016 million.
    Recipient: ACON
  • Additional support for the Full Stop NSW Sexual Violence Helpline. $1.103 million.
    Recipient: Full Stop Australia
  • Trial the co-location of a full-time Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services support worker in some police stations. $ 0.65 million.
    Recipient: Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services 
  • Additional workshops for adult male survivors of child sexual abuse. $0.62 million.
    Recipient: Survivors and Mates Support Network
  • Improving medical care for victim-survivors of domestic and sexual violence. $0.531 million.
    Recipient: Forensic and Medical Sexual Assault Clinicians Australia
  • Funding for an identified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Project Officer position. $0.44 million.
    Recipient: Domestic Violence NSW
  • Enhance the Strong Aboriginal Women and Strong Aboriginal Men early intervention programs run by the Education Centre Against Violence. $0.4 million.
    Recipient: NSW Health
  • Review of a pilot supporting Aboriginal women in contact with the criminal justice system. $0.425 million. 
    Recipient: Waminda.
  • Develop a workforce strategy to guide training, attraction and retention of men’s behaviour change sector staff. $0.2 million.
    Recipient: No to Violence
Last updated:

27 Oct 2023