Introduction by Croakey: Both major parties in the Northern Territory have this week announced commitments to invest $180 million over five years in the domestic, family and sexual violence sector.
While welcome news, more is required, says Sally Sievers, CEO of NT Council of Social Services. The promised funding is the minimum amount needed to address domestic, family and sexual violence.
“Frontline workers and advocates across the Territory have made it clear for years that the domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) sector is severely underfunded and inundated by demand,” Sievers says.
Below, Sievers also makes strong recommendations for how the next Territory Government can better support community services and address cost of living pressures.
“This is a crucial election for more than 154,000 voting Territorians who will decide what type of place they want the Territory to be,” says the NTCOSS statement on election priorities.
Sally Sievers writes:
Domestic, family and sexual violence is one of the biggest threats to Northern Territorians’ wellbeing and, with three weeks left until the Territory election, it has at last become part of the conversation.
Both major parties recently made an election commitment to invest $180 million over five years into domestic, family and sexual violence prevention, early intervention, response and healing.
These election commitments are based on the minimum recommended in the domestic, family and sexual violence Interagency Co-ordination and Reform Office mapping report only made public last year and are welcome.
However, NT Council of Social Service (NTCOSS) and the specialist domestic, family and sexual violence sector look forward to more detail to ensure accountability.
We will advocate that this additional funding is ongoing and allocated in consultation with the domestic, family and sexual violence sector to implement the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Reduction Plan 2.
Domestic and family violence in the Territory is a crisis and needs an urgent and significant response.
In Australia on average, one woman is killed every nine days by a current or former partner. In the Northern Territory, rates of domestic, family and sexual violence related homicide are seven times the national average.
Women in remote and regional communities are 24 times more likely to be hospitalised for domestic violence than women in major cities. These rates of violence are alarming and have far reaching impacts. It is not just the victim-survivor or the immediate family that is harmed when domestic violence occurs, the repercussions are felt through the whole community.
Broader community services
Frontline workers and advocates across the Territory have made it clear for years that the domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) sector is severely underfunded and inundated by demand.
This election, NTCOSS joins their calls for all candidates to commit to significant and long-term investment in domestic, family and sexual violence prevention, early intervention, response and healing.
Specialist domestic, family and sexual violence services do incredible work in supporting victim-survivors in times of crisis and in their ongoing healing. These specialist services have a unique position and impact; however, we must also look at the important role of broader community services.
Just over half of clients presenting to homelessness services in the NT do so due to domestic, family and sexual violence.
Another immediate step the incoming government should take is to commit to allocate 50 percent of the existing commitments to new housing from the Housing Australia Future Fund to victim-survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence.
Community services provide a diverse array of service across the NT including emergency food relief, after-school care and activities for children, disability support and legal advice. These are just some examples amongst a lengthy list of social and community services that all Territorians will access and benefit from across their life.
Analysis from NTCOSS’ latest Value of the Sector report shows that almost half of charities in the NT are not meeting cost increases, putting their sustainability at risk.
It is Territorians who will suffer if these services are not adequately funded and supported.
We need a NT Government who will prioritise supporting Territorians by investing in the sustainability of the community services sector, safeguarding and restoring funding.
This must include removing the efficiency dividends that have been applied to community sector funding agreements as a cost saving measure and applying appropriate ongoing indexation to funding to ensure that services can restore and maintain their critical support for the community.
We know that it’s not just the community services sector that is struggling to keep up with costs.
Addressing cost of living
Everyone is feeling the impact of the current cost of living crisis and, while cost of living has commanded pre-election discussion, the focus has remained on blanket measures that have little impact for those who need it the most.
We ask the incoming government to take action to fix the concession scheme so it provides better targeted support. Concessions are a key tool that governments have at their disposal to alleviate cost of living pressures in a targeted and efficient way.
Indexing the motor vehicle registration concession to keep pace with increasing costs and expanding the eligibility criteria so those on the lowest incomes can access this support should also be immediate priorities for any incoming government to assist with cost of living pressures.
The Territory’s domestic, family and sexual violence and broader community sector, and the Territorians who access their services, know what they need to reduce domestic and family violence, lessen its impact on our community and address the cost of living pressures.
We urge the incoming government to listen to the solutions we are offering to these problems.
Outside of the community sector, we all have an important role to play in supporting our community, and particularly those who are doing it tougher. A critical way we play this role is by participating in our democratic processes.
Our vote is powerful and not to be taken for granted.
As the election draws near, we urge every Territorian and candidate to prioritise building a fair and equitable community where all Territorians are supported and safe.
About the author
Sally Sievers is the recently appointed CEO of the Northern Territory Council of Social Service (NTCOSS) and has lived and worked in the NT for 36 years. Sievers was the former NT Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, acting Children’s Commissioner and Acting Magistrate.
NTCOSS is a not-for-profit member-based peak body for the NT’s community and social services sector, and an advocate for social justice on behalf of people and communities who may be affected by poverty and disadvantage. NTCOSS election priorities are here.
See Croakey’s archive of articles on the social determinants of health.
