Domestic and family violence shatters lives; physically, emotionally, and financially – too often leading to homelessness or death.
In 2024, at least 25 women were murdered in NSW, the highest toll in nearly a decade. The impacts stretch across health, justice, housing, education, and the economy.
Demand, case complexity, and awareness are growing, yet the frontline specialist sector remains under-resourced, with no
core funding increase in over a decade.
The result is devastating: women and children are turned away from the support that could save their lives.
Our 2026–27 pre-budget submission is informed by evidence, research, and extensive consultation with our approximately 200 members – the specialist workforce on the frontlines of this crisis.
Together, we can fund a safer today for women and children across NSW.
On behalf of our members and the victim-survivors they support, we call on the NSW Government to invest in sustainable safety across three key areas:
Increase core funding for specialist DFV services
- Prioritise a 50% core funding increase for all specialist domestic and family violence services, so that frontline services have sufficient resourcing to meet demand ($177.4 million increase from 2024-25).
Meeting the demand for services
- Provide a supplementary payment to all specialist domestic and family violence services operating in regional, rural and
remote locations in NSW. - Invest in flexible housing options to increase the availability of safe and accessible housing with wrap-around support for victim-survivors of domestic and family violence.
Supporting strategic reform
- Fully fund implementation of the domestic and family violence Quality Standards.
- Commit a further $11.4 million to effectively implement the NSW Common Approach to Risk Assessment and Safety
Framework. - Commit a further $7.5 million to effectively implement Strengthening the NSW Domestic and Family Violence Sector:
Workforce Development Strategy 2025-35. - Commit a further $8 million to effectively implement the NSW Aboriginal Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Plan.
- Commit a further $50 million to effectively implement Pathways to Prevention: NSW Strategy for the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence 2024–2028.
Read our 2026-27 pre-budget submission.
Download our two-page summary factsheet.
