National cabinet has agreed to a $4.7bn plan over the next five years to address the “national crisis” of family and gender-based violence.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announced the multibillion-dollar package after meeting with premiers and chief ministers on Friday morning in response to recommendations by a rapid review of prevention approaches and the Mundy review into legal assistance.
Both reviews recommended a “substantial” increase in funding.
The funding includes $3.9bn from the commonwealth for frontline legal assistance services for families escaping violence, which will begin flowing from 1 July 2025.
Another $351m from the federal government will go towards a five-year partnership for supporting specialist women’s and children’s services, as well as men’s behaviour change programs. This investment will be matched by the states, amounting to $702m.
“We know that a nationally coordinated approach is required to address this national crisis. We must act to ensure women are safe,” Albanese said.
“These horrific and disturbing deaths and vile violence must be prevented. Achieving this demands action and change at every level of government, but more than that, it also requires action from every part of our society.”
The first ministers also agreed on “innovative” approaches to better identify high-risk perpetrators, share information across systems, and to intervene early to stop violence escalating.
Here is what has been announced:
1. A $4.7bn family violence package
National cabinet’s announcement totals $4.7bn and will begin flowing from 1 July 2025.
Albanese said the package would address the “funding cliff” next year after the existing agreements expired.
It comes months after national cabinet agreed in May to almost $1m to help victims of violence leave abusive relationships and to ban deepfake pornography as new measures to combat violence against women.
In the lead up to the announcement, the social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, called on the states and territories to deliver on a promise to hire 500 additional frontline workers to support women and children in crisis by July next year.
Rishworth said the jurisdictions committed to reaching 352 of the 500 new roles by June this year but the target had not been met.
The Queensland premier, Steven Miles, said the commentary was “unhelpful” as there were labour market challenges.
2. $800m for national access to justice partnership
The announcement includes $800m to fund legal services responding to gender-based violence over the next five years.
The money will go toward community and legal aid services supporting women and children, First Nations communities and family violence prevention.
The details of where the funding will go will be negotiated through a meeting of the country’s attorneys general later this month.
The federal attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, said in a statement: “This funding is critical – it will mean that essential frontline services can continue to operate and help the most vulnerable in our community.”
3. $702m for national approach to family violence responses
The states and territories will match federal government funding to deliver a nationally coordinated approach to tackling family and gender-based violence.
A total of $702m has been committed over a five-year period to encourage better data sharing of high-risk perpetrators, and to fund needed support services.
The funding will also be directed toward specialist services for women, services to support children exposed to family, domestic and sexual violence to heal and recover and programs to change the behaviour of male perpetrators.
Further details about the funding and where it will go are expected to be released in the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook at the end of the year.
In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org