Victorian Budget 2024-25: Staying the course on family violence, but more needed for long-term change

In an incredibly tight budget environment, the Victorian Government is continuing to stay the course on strengthening systemic approaches to addressing family and gender-based violence.     

We were pleased today’s release of the 2024-25 Victorian Budget did not include cuts anticipated by the specialist family violence sector, with $72 million of lapsing funding uplifts continued for a further two years. 

While this extension is indeed a welcome relief, short-term, piecemeal funding does not provide the security needed for frontline family violence services, which are experiencing higher levels of demand than ever before.  

Family and gender-based violence is a national emergency. People experiencing abuse and the specialists working to support them are distraught, outraged, and exhausted – and while funding extensions are far better news than cuts, they do little to respond to the escalating crisis.  

Beyond funding for victim survivor services, the continuation of support for primary prevention initiatives is heartening to see, particularly when we know this is long-term work requiring sustained investment. 

We welcome the commitment of $39 million over four years for the continued delivery of Respectful Relationships Education in schools. This includes a partnership with Safe and Equal to support ongoing primary prevention workforce development. 

Today’s announcements also included a continuation of $18 million in uplift funding over two years to women’s health services providing preventative health promotion and education, and $42 million over three years towards further research into prevention initiatives, and continued delivery of perpetrator case management programs.  

What we need now is bold, enduring action. We keenly await further announcements from the Victorian Government off the back of recent National Cabinet discussions and meetings between the Premier and specialist service sectors. We remain hopeful for an enduring, comprehensive approach to addressing family violence that includes continued investment into primary prevention, enhanced focused on early intervention, permanent uplift for crisis services and long-term recovery support for adult and child victim survivors. 

There is no quick fix to end family and gender-based violence; we know meaningful change will take time. This is a national crisis that requires a sustained commitment from all levels of government – because without it, we will continue to see more tragic and preventable deaths.