Family violence experts slam poor funding after Hannah Clarke's murder
Domestic violence specialists have slammed the federal government for inadequate funding for resources and safety interventions, in the wake of Hannah Clarke's murder.
The Morrison government on Friday announced $2.4 million for men's behavioural change programs, which will include group sessions, counselling and home visits in NSW, Queensland and Western Australian through until June 2022.
But Jacqui Watt, chief executive of family violence prevention services No To Violence and Men's Referral Service, called the funding commitment "appalling" and described it as "a drop in the bucket of what's needed."
"Right now, government funding decisions have left many services that work with men at risk of using violence with six-month waiting lists," Ms Watt said in a statement.
"If we're going to actually stop men choosing to use violence, we need a massive injection of resources into services that focus on changing men's abusive behaviour."
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Domestic Violence NSW chief executive Joanne Yates says every year three-out-of-four women who access homelessness services are fleeing violence.
Due to resource constraints, about 150 women are turned away each day.
"The government's decision to completely under-resource these services means women are left on their own to try and manage their safety at an incredibly dangerous and high risk time," Ms Yates said on Friday.
Fair Agenda executive director Renee Carr says many women aren't able to access help due to a lack of resources, particularly in the legal, refuge, cultural and specialist services.
"The Government has made funding decisions that just accept that some women desperate to get safe will have to be told they can't be helped," Ms Carr said.
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