The WA Government has introduced a raft of measures in the 2017-18 State Budget to reduce the unacceptable levels of family and domestic violence in the community and provide extra services to support victims.
As part of a multi-faceted approach, the Government will deliver two new women’s refuges as well as extra education and prevention strategies to help reverse the prevalence of domestic violence.
The 2017-18 State Budget includes:
- $8.3 million to establish two additional women’s refuges, with work to start in 2018;
- Reinstating and expanding Financial Counselling Services with an extra $7.4 million of funding;
- Establishing a new family and domestic violence counselling service in the Peel region;
- State Government funding for the RSPCA to support a Pets in Crisis program, which will help the victims of family and domestic violence look after their pets;
- Deliver respectful relationship programs in schools as part of a primary prevention program;
- Membership of the national Our Watch program, which will enable the State Government to leverage support through partnerships and access to research;
- Investing $1.69 million to expand existing culturally appropriate services to Aboriginal and culturally and linguistically diverse victims of family and domestic violence;
- Planning funding to start work to establish an additional behavioural change service for male perpetrators of family and domestic violence.
For more 2017-18 State Budget information, visit http://www.ourstatebudget.wa.gov.au
Source: Government of Western Australia.