Safer Families Funding to Address Family Violence What we know Reforms to date The next stage of reform
2016-17 ACT Budget Safer Families
Tragic deaths have forced us to re-focus on family violence in the ACT. The $21.42 million Safer Families package in the 2016-17 ACT Budget will drive the next phase of reform in whole of government, community-backed responses to family violence.
Increasing numbers of people are reporting family violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault. The impacts of this violence are devastating and well-documented.
Family violence crosses socioeconomic and cultural boundaries and imposes an economic burden on the whole community.
The ACT Government is pursuing urgent action for safer families in the 2016-17 ACT Budget.
The ACT Government remains absolutely committed to the prevention of family and domestic violence. Governments across Australia are united in their commitment to action and this reflects the growing intolerance for family violence in the community.
This is a national problem. Family violence is everyone’s problem.
In this budget the ACT Government is making a very clear statement of values, and a very clear statement of priorities. The values we hold - of caring for those who are vulnerable, who need a helping hand, of saying that this is an area of our community where good governments should and must act – are enshrined in the support this budget provides to address family violence.
This is the why the ACT Government has introduced the Safer Families levy to fund reforms that will address family violence.
Recent reports commissioned by the ACT Government demonstrate that the service system has not kept pace with the needs of victims of family violence and their families. The service system must also hold perpetrators to account.
Laurie Glanfield AM in his review of the service system in the ACT noted that ‘There is remarkable agreement on the challenges facing the family violence sector and what needs to change.’
