By Mikayla van Loon
The prevention and intervention of family violence has been recognised as one of the key pillars in the federal budget for 2022-23.
Under the proposed new National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children, the government has committed a total of $1.3 billion.
Four levels have been identified under the proposal, being prevention, early intervention, response and recovery and have each been allocated separate funding.
The breakdown includes $203.6 million for prevention measures like awareness-raising and education on consent, with $328.2 million for early intervention “including training for community
frontline workers, health professionals and the justice sector”.
Extending the Escaping Violence Payment, $480.1 million has been proposed for the program to help victim-survivors recover from violence, while $290.9 million has been put towards what the budget papers call “a range of health and justice measures”.
The government has also allocated a sum of $19 million for data collection and research for the next National Plan.
Program Manager of Inner and Outer East Family Violence at Anglicare Victoria and The Orange Door Erin Foot said one of the biggest issues surrounding family violence is the lack of education, so any work to improve that in the outer east would benefit the sector.
“A lot of people struggle to identify red flags and early indicators of violence in a relationship – slowly isolating someone from their friends and family, or controlling how they spend their money for example.
“Often victims are only provided with assistance once the violence becomes physical, despite them trying to get support well before it reaches that point.
“Education, in the community as well as the service sector, is vital to help identify family violence in its early stages.”
Ms Foot said the sector is glad to receive whatever funding it can to go towards helping people identify violent situations, helping them leave and supporting them afterwards.
“Any funding that is directed to supporting women and children who have been impacted by family violence is very much welcomed.”
