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New funding to prevent violence against women and children

Tuesday, 07 February 2012

The Victorian Coalition Government will spend an extra $7.2 million over the next three years on new grants aimed at reducing violence against women and children.

The new funding is part of the Coalition Government's Community Crime Prevention Program and will target prevention and early intervention programs. They are intended to help prevent family violence, and violence against women more broadly.

"Most of the Coalition Government's spending on violence against women is, understandably, for programs to help victims," Crime Prevention Minister Andrew McIntosh said.

"These new grants will support partnership programs that aim to prevent this insidious crime and stop the violence from happening in the first place."

Applications for funding will be sought for programs to run across the three year period. Such programs may include:

• activities targeting workplaces, sporting clubs and other organisations to build environments that are safe, inclusive and respectful of women and girls
• early intervention activities targeting specific groups that are at high risk of using or experiencing violence in the future

A portion of the funding will be set aside for programs specifically developed by Indigenous communities.

Expressions of interest will be sought from communities across the state. The Regional Crime Prevention Reference Groups will play a vital role in providing local knowledge of projects that will work best for their region.

It's expected organisations will bid for funding in partnership with others at regional and sub-regional levels.

"The scourge of violence against women and children, particularly family violence, has been raised repeatedly at Regional Reference Group meetings across the state. These new grants recognise the importance of local communities developing crime prevention solutions that best suit their region," Mr McIntosh said.

These new grants build upon the significant commitment of the Coalition Government to strengthen action to prevent, intervene early and respond to violence against women and children.

In addition to the new funding, the Coalition Government is investing more than $75 million this year to address violence against women and children.

Women's Affairs Minister Mary Wooldridge recently released the Coalition Government's three-year action plan for public consultation.

The Coalition Government has also signed up to the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children, designed to coordinate policy and efforts among all Australian jurisdictions.

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