Safe and Equal, the peak body for Victorian organisations that specialise in family and gender-based violence across the continuum, has today launched its 2026 Election Platform, calling on all political parties and candidates to commit to sustained investment and urgent action to address family and gender-based violence ahead of the November election. 

Victoria has led the nation in family and gender-based violence reform over the past decade, building one of Australia’s strongest specialist family violence systems. But with police recording 106,430 family violence incidents in 2024–25 – an eight per cent increase on the previous year – continued investment is essential to sustain progress. 

The platform outlines four priorities for the next Victorian Government: children and young people, safe housing and long-term recovery, justice and early intervention and sustainable investment in the family and gender-based violence sector. 

Safe and Equal is calling for a guaranteed $33 million a year for specialist services for children and young people experiencing family violence, and an additional $12 million annually over five years for ten multidisciplinary demonstration projects to strengthen workforce capability and build evidence about what works. 

“At least 40 per cent of the clients that specialist family violence services see are children and young people, who need direct support as victim survivors in their own right,” said Safe and Equal CEO Joumanah El-Matrah. 

The peak body is also calling for core investment to grow to $554 million per year from 2026–27, delivered through minimum five-year funding commitments. Economic modelling shows this investment would return $2.8 billion in benefits to victim survivors, communities and the Victorian economy – around six times the cost of investment – while helping reduce the $8.9 billion family violence costs Victoria each year. 

“An investment of $554 million would deliver $2.8 billion in benefits for victim survivors and the Victorian community, while reducing the $8.9 billion family violence already costs Victoria every year. We’re already paying the price of family violence – this is a smart investment in reducing that cost. This isn’t new spending; it’s investing wisely to reduce a cost we’re already carrying,” said Ms El-Matrah. 

“Victim survivors across our state are facing longer wait times for specialist support due to inadequate funding and workforce shortages. The scale of need also reinforces the importance of stopping violence before it happens in the first place. Our workforce is doing incredible, lifesaving work every day. But current funding isn’t keeping pace with rising demand, placing increasing pressure on the services and systems that keep people safe. That’s dangerous and deeply unsustainable.”

It also recommends a further $20 million per year delivered over a five-year investment cycle focused on preventing violence before it starts – not just responding after it happens, alongside measures to strengthen the workforce through secure jobs, fair pay and professional development. 

“This election will determine how Victoria prevents and responds to rising rates of family violence in our community,” said Ms El-Matrah. “We’ve done the modelling; we know what’s needed. The next government must be bold with their investment and show Victorians they take this issue seriously.” 

The platform also calls for at least doubling specialist refuge capacity, delivering 83,000 new social housing dwellings for victim survivors over the next 25 years, expanding longer-term recovery supports, investing an additional $20 million in early intervention, strengthening legal assistance, and protecting victim survivors from misidentification as coercive control reforms are implemented. 

“It’s a tough economic environment for government and Victorians alike, and we know all political parties will be focused on that. However, unaddressed family violence costs billions and places enormous strain on our education, health and justice sectors, and many other public services. It’s crucial all candidates and parties make clear exactly what they’re offering to meaningfully address this crisis.” 

“Every person who experiences violence should be able to access the support they need, when they need it, in a way that works for them. That support should remain constant from the point of crisis to recovery and beyond. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality for many victim survivors right now,” said Ms El-Matrah. 

“Family and gender-based violence is preventable and must be a priority for all parties as we approach the 2026 election. We need the incoming Victorian Government not just to maintain the system we’ve built, but to strengthen it for the future. Fund the family violence system like lives depend on it – because they do.” 

Safe and Equal’s 2026 Election Platform asks: 

1. Children and young people

• A guaranteed $33 million a year for specialist services, with an additional $12 million annually over five years for ten multidisciplinary demonstration projects. 

2. Safe housing and long-term recovery

• Double specialist refuge capacity and deliver 83,000 new social housing dwellings over 25 years, and invest in longer-term recovery supports. 

3. Justice and early intervention

• Invest $20 million in early intervention, strengthen legal assistance and protect victim survivors from misidentification as coercive control reforms are implemented. 

4. Sustainable investment in the sector

• Increase core investment for the family violence sector to $554 million per year through minimum five-year funding cycles. 

• Invest a further $20 million per year delivered through a dedicated five-year prevention investment stream. 

• Strengthen the specialist workforce and system governance, including an independent system monitor, a specialised Family Safety Victoria and lived experience leadership. 

• Sustain investment in Safe and Equal’s sector leadership, advocacy and workforce development. 

 

View Safe and Equal’s 2026 Election Platform here. 

 

About Safe and Equal 

Safe and Equal is the peak body for Victorian organisations specialising in family and gender-based violence across prevention, early intervention, response and recovery. Our vision is a world where everyone is safe, respected and thriving, living free from family and gender-based violence. 

Media contact 

media@safeandequal.org.au 

Increasing funding for specialist family violence services would be worth six times the cost of investment, according to a new report released today by family violence peak body Safe and Equal. 

Economic modelling undertaken by Equity Economics has found that to meet current demand from victim survivors, specialist family violence services need $487 million in core funding per year, delivered in rolling five-year minimum funding commitments.  

This increase would enable all services to support more clients and provide existing clients with what they need, exactly when they need it. This investment would also give specialist services greater capacity to provide early intervention to help victim survivors before violence escalates further. 

“Victoria has a well-established and comprehensive family violence system, underpinned by significant reforms and investment as a result of the Royal Commission ten years ago,” said Safe and Equal CEO Dr Joumanah El-Matrah. 

“That investment has transformed the system and improved outcomes for thousands of victim survivors. But demand continues to outpace funding, leaving specialist services under increasing pressure and too many people waiting longer than they should to access critical, lifesaving supports.” 

In Victoria, rates of recorded family violence incidents continue to rise. According to Crime Statistics Agency data, there were 106,430 family violence incidents recorded by Victoria Police in 2024-25 – an 8 per cent increase from the previous year.  

“The modelling in this report only considers the people who are currently reaching out for support. It doesn’t factor in those who have not reported their abuse or reached out for help, which means the true level of service demand is likely much higher,” said Dr El-Matrah. 

Significantly, if demand for specialist family violence services were to be fully met in the next financial year, the sector would deliver $2.8 billion in benefits for the Victorian community. Most of these benefits would come from the reduction of long-term health burdens resulting from family violence within five years of services being accessed. 

“The social and economic benefits of proper investment in the specialist family violence sector cannot be understated,” said Ms El-Matrah. 

“We’re talking about significant improvements to people’s health and wellbeing, alongside long-term reductions in demand on health, justice and child protection systems. Every dollar invested in funding the family violence sector delivers an estimated six dollars in savings across these public services.”   

The report also highlights additional actions required to further reduce the cost burden of family violence, including addressing barriers in the police and justice system, investing in social housing and ensuring prevention and early intervention efforts are appropriately resourced.  

“Victim survivors should never have to wait for support in a crisis, and we cannot fund crisis response at the expense of preventing violence or supporting recovery,” said Ms El-Matrah. 

“Every part of the family violence system matters. Prevention, early intervention, crisis response and recovery must all be properly funded if we are serious about ending family and gender-based violence.” 

“This report sets out what’s needed. The next step is for the Victorian Government to act with the ambition and investment that the community expects and deserves.” 

Key findings from The Costs and Benefits of Fully Meeting Demand for Specialist Family Violence Services in Victoria: 

• Equity Economics estimate that each year in Victoria:
  About 3,750 victim survivors seeking help from specialist family violence services are unable to receive any support.
  A further 5,000 existing clients are unable to be provided with services they need (mainly accommodation services).
  About 85 per cent of clients seeking case management support wait to be assigned to a case manager, with an average wait time of 8.5 days. Clients assessed as being at lower risk levels wait the longest.
• Equity Economics estimate that fully meeting demand for specialist family violence services in Victoria would require government funding for the sector to increase to $487 million in 2026-27, a 62 per cent increase from the $300 million expected to be spent on the current funding trajectory.
• The benefits of fully meeting demand would far exceed the costs. If demand were to be fully met, the sector would deliver $2.8 billion in benefits for the Victorian community – equivalent to almost $80,000 per client, on average.
• The report also shows that the social and economic benefits for the community are six times more than the investment across health and wellbeing, workforce and social participation and long-term reductions in the use of government health, justice and child protection services. 

Read the full report, The Costs and Benefits of Fully Meeting Demand for Specialist Family Violence Services in Victoria here. 

About Safe and Equal 

Safe and Equal is the peak body for Victorian organisations that specialise in family and gender-based violence across the continuum, including primary prevention, early intervention, response and recovery.  

About Equity Economics 

Equity Economics is a leading consulting firm, providing analysis, policy development, design and evaluation services to government, private sector and non-government clients. 

Media contact

For media enquiries: media@safeandequal.org.au