Recommendation 156

Women and children in Australia have the right to feel safe and live without fear of violence.

The National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-22 (National Plan) is a 12 year plan that aims to reduce violence against women and their children. The National Plan was released in February 2011 and is being delivered through four three-year action Plans. The National Plan provides a mechanism to drive effort and make investment in reducing domestic, family and sexual violence.

The Third Action Plan 2016-2019 of the National Plan sets out 36 practical actions, across six National Priority areas, these being:

• prevention and early intervention;
 
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children;
      
• greater support and choice;
      
• sexual violence;
     
• responding to children living with violence; and
     
• keeping perpetrators accountable across all systems.

The Australian Government has made additional funding commitments towards women's safety in recent years:

• Additional $100 million in 2016-17 Budget under the Third Action Plan.
• $100 million Women's Safety Package, announced September 2015.
• New funding of $54.4 million in the 2018-19 Budget.
• $117.2 million under the 2017-18 Transitional National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness, which prioritises women and children experiencing domestic and family violence.

Under the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement, the Australian Government provides $1.5 billion per year to states and territories (States) for housing and homelessness services. States are required to publish homelessness strategies that address priority cohorts including women and children affected by family and domestic violence in order to receive funding.

For information about state and territory policies and programmes related to domestic and family violence, visit:

• Australian Capital Territory – Community Services Directorate
• New South Wales – Domestic Violence
• Northern Territory – Territory Families
• Queensland – Queensland Government
• South Australia – Office for Women
• Tasmania – Department of Premier and Cabinet – Safe Homes, Safe Families
• Victoria – Department of Human Services
• Western Australia – Department for Child Protection and Family Support