Every day, the specialist domestic and family violence (DFV) services in NSW we represent, are forced to turn away victim-survivors needing safety.
Not because they want to, but because chronic underfunding means they simply don’t have the resources or the capacity.
And this crisis is growing.
Last year, 78 women were murdered in Australia – the highest number in nearly a decade. NSW recorded the most gender-based homicides in the country. Yet, despite the soaring demand for DFV support, NSW remains one of the lowest per capita spenders on these critical services.
What’s more is that we can’t even track an official account of the number of lives lost. This means the scale of the crisis is far worse than it’s presented.
This is unacceptable. And it is preventable.
A 50% increase in baseline DFV funding – $163 million this year, is the minimum required to meet demand and save lives. This funding would ensure crisis accommodation, legal support, case management, and wraparound services are available when victim-survivors need them most.
The NSW government delivered $72.3b (over four years) on infrastructure spending in the 2023/24 state budget. Yes, transport is essential, but we’re begging for only $163 million to keep people safe. When did trains and ferries come before the lives of women and children?
Ending violence costs money. But failing to invest costs lives. As Julia Gillard once said, budgets are about choice. The NSW Government must choose to prioritise the safety of women and children in the upcoming budget.
The time for action is now.
