inTouch Responds to 2024-2025 Victorian State Budget

8th May, 2024

Recognising the challenging economic environment, inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence welcomes continued investment in key women’s safety initiatives as outlined in the 2024-2025 Victorian State Budget.

However, while funding for critical services supporting family violence prevention, response and recovery has not gone backwards, at a time when one woman is murdered every four days due to gender-based violence, this is not enough.

The Victorian Government has long demonstrated ambitious leadership in establishing a robust and responsive family violence system, supported by substantial funding. Merely funding lapsing programs falls short, particularly given the alarming rate of violence against women in our communities. Persistent gaps and barriers remain due to increasing demand.

inTouch is pleased to see the continued funding of:

• $42m over four years for perpetrator case management and research to inform program development.
• $72 million over two years to support family violence victim survivors through specialist supports including case management, crisis brokerage, therapeutic interventions for children and young people and flexible support packages for victim survivors on temporary visas; and critical workforce supports including capability building to improve responses to multicultural communities.
• Health Justice Partnerships to support community legal centres to partner with health organisations, allowing them to reach women experiencing family violence in safe spaces.

However, there are critical shortages and gaps. In particular, the $4.4 million to support new migrants to Victoria on temporary visas to receive culturally appropriate legal help when experiencing family violence is far from sufficient and does not support the essential work inTouch pioneered in this space.

inTouch looks forward to the Government’s planned announcement in the coming weeks regarding additional measures to respond to family and sexual violence, and hopes Government will work collaboratively with the specialist family violence sector as it finalises these responses.

Achieving cultural and systemic change to end family violence demands bold and innovative investment in further initiatives, a call we extend to the Allan Government. We look forward to continuing our work together to realise the vision of a Victoria free from violence.  

#####################ENDS#########################