National Partnership Agreement

The NSW and Commonwealth Government committed a collective $140 million to support domestic, family and sexual violence initiatives. The Commonwealth contributed $80 million under the National Partnership on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Responses 2021-23 to support service providers to deliver critical services, meet demand and support those who need it most. The NSW Government contributed an additional $60 million to further support these efforts.

In addition to the National Partnership with states and territories, the  Australian Government will generate 500 new jobs for frontline and community sector organisations to address staffing shortages in shelters and crisis support services.

The $140 million funding boost is part of the focus on improving victim safety and reducing family violence reoffending. It is in addition to the landmark $484.3 million over four years to provide housing and related support services for women and children experiencing domestic and family violence. 

Phase 1 funding allocation

The first round of funding included a $20 million relief package to support more than 180 NSW specialist frontline services.

This funding enables domestic and family violence needs to be addressed on multiple fronts – with immediate supports like crisis accommodation, housing and legal help, as well as preventative measures like men’s behaviour change programs.

Tailored support for children and young people has also been built into the funding package, which will help ensure this vulnerable cohort receive specialist care.

The package provides extra funding for existing specialist domestic and family violence services, including:

• Staying Home Leaving Violence to reduce victim-survivor homelessness; $0.746 million
• Women’s refuges to support women and children in need of crisis accommodation; $6.864 million
• The Integrated Domestic and Family Violence Services Program, to provide women and their children with the emotional and practical support they need to recover from domestic and family violence; $0.311 million
• Domestic Violence Response Enhancement to provide after-hours crisis support services for victim-survivors; $0.995 million
• Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services to help women and children escaping violence with their legal, social and welfare needs; $1.38 million
• Specialist workers to provide trauma-informed support for children and young people in 20 priority refuges; $6.55million
• Men’s Behaviour Change Programs and other perpetrator interventions; $1,850,000 
• Local Support Services for male victim-survivors $0.25 million
• Men’s Behaviour Change Programs (MBCPs) and ENGAGE workshops; $0.40 million
• Support for peak organisations (DVNSW, No To Violence and ACON); $0.45 million
• Frontline services for women and children victim-survivors
• (Emergency COVID funding to specialist services) ; $0.24 million
• Relationships Australia Men’s Behaviour Change Programs; $1.85 million 

Phase 2 funding allocation

A further $20 million in funding is being invested into 16 projects under phase 2 of this funding agreement.

More than half of the funding has been allocated to services that directly support victim-survivors to assist in recovery from experienced trauma.

Other projects focus on keeping women safe during court proceedings to ensure more domestic and family violence matters proceed.

This phase also has a focus on improving outcomes for Aboriginal women, either through expanding existing programs or ensuring Aboriginal communities play an active role in the development of future policy, programs and services. 

The package provides funding for existing and future specialist domestic and family violence services.