Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Minister for Families and Social Services and Minister for Women’s Safety Senator Anne Ruston on new funding coming to the NT to address the ongoing domestic violence issue

Transcript

Minister for Families and Social Services and Minister for Women’s Safety Senator Anne Ruston on new funding coming to the NT to address the ongoing domestic violence issue · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: Now. As we know, domestic violence is a serious issue
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory, with incidents reported almost weekly. Just
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: yesterday we learned of a man allegedly assaulting a woman
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  Speaker 1: in Stuart Park late on Friday night, with reports that
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  Speaker 1: he was dragging her by her hair. Today, with hopes
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  Speaker 1: to address the crisis, the Minister for Families and Social
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  Speaker 1: Services and Minister for Women's Safety, Senator Ann Rusten, is
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  Speaker 1: in Palmerston to announce additional funding for frontline domestic, family
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  Speaker 1: and sexual violence services in the Northern Territory. She's also
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  Speaker 1: here for an update on the Salvation Army Territory Domestic
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  Speaker 1: Violence Crisis Accommodation Project and she joins me on the
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  Speaker 1: line this morning. Minister, good morning, Good morning Katie. What
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  Speaker 1: is included as part of the funding announcement this morning, Well, this.
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  Speaker 2: Is part of our national partnership agreement with all the
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  Speaker 2: states and territories, but we've made a particular allocation to
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  Speaker 2: the Northern Territory to recognize the chronic rates of violence
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  Speaker 2: that are people in the Northern Territory face. So what
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  Speaker 2: we'd like to see happen with this money is making
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  Speaker 2: sure that our frontline services have gotten the resources and
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  Speaker 2: the training that they need. But we're also keen for
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  Speaker 2: early intervention programs for young people so that violence doesn't escalate,
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  Speaker 2: and also making sure that in our remote community that
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  Speaker 2: the services are tailored to the needs of the women
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  Speaker 2: in those communities. So very keen to make sure that
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  Speaker 2: this money is spent in a number of different areas,
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  Speaker 2: hopefully to drive down those terrible rates of violence that
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  Speaker 2: you so often have to report on.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, we do so often. It's something that you know
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  Speaker 1: that always really just makes you feel so upset when
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  Speaker 1: you hear about these various situations. I mean, how well
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  Speaker 1: do you think that funding like this will help to
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  Speaker 1: address things like domestic violence as an issue, but also
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  Speaker 1: in terms of getting ahead and being preventative rather than
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  Speaker 1: dealing with the issue as it's happening.
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  Speaker 2: Well, this money is directly provided to the Northern Territory
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  Speaker 2: government for them to use with their frontline services. But
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  Speaker 2: it's only a one part of the good investment that
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  Speaker 2: we've made the one point one billion dollars that were
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  Speaker 2: put down in last year's budget as a down payment
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  Speaker 2: on the next national plan. Because you're absolutely right, it's
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  Speaker 2: not just about dealing with the response. We actually have
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  Speaker 2: to stop it happening in the first place, by making
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  Speaker 2: sure we've got measures in place to start preventing it
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  Speaker 2: from happening, early interventions so that we can stop violence
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  Speaker 2: behaviors or abusing behaviors escalating, but also making sure that
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  Speaker 2: when we've dealt with the immediate trauma, that there are
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  Speaker 2: programs and processes to make sure that people going through
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  Speaker 2: a journey of recovery, because unfortunately, domestic, family and sexual
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  Speaker 2: violence often leads long term trauma damage to the individual
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  Speaker 2: and we need to support them right the way through
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  Speaker 2: their journey. So this is a big project and it's
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  Speaker 2: going to take a lot of effort and a lot
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  Speaker 2: of resources. And this is just one part of that program.
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  Speaker 1: And Minister, do we have enough in the Northern Territory
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  Speaker 1: right now? I mean, particularly when you look at at
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  Speaker 1: that crisis accommodation and the various things that can be done,
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  Speaker 1: can we reach that real pointy end.
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  Speaker 2: Well, obviously we would be calling on the Northern Territory government.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, the federal government has made very significant contributions,
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  Speaker 2: whether it be the remote housing allocation of five hundred
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  Speaker 2: and fifty million dollars over five years in whether it
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  Speaker 2: be through this national Partnership agreement the Northern Territory share
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  Speaker 2: of one point six billion dollars every year that goes
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  Speaker 2: to support homelessness and social housing, as well as our
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  Speaker 2: Safe Places program that we are directly investing in. But
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  Speaker 2: we'd say to the Northern Territory government and a lot
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  Speaker 2: of resources and a lot of money coming into the
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  Speaker 2: Northern Territory to support particularly housing, and we'd be really
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  Speaker 2: keen to make sure that they actually were delivering from
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  Speaker 2: the commitment they made to get the money in the
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  Speaker 2: first place.
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  Speaker 1: Now, Minister, I know this morning that you are as
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  Speaker 1: I understand it out. It's the Salvation Army Territory Domestic
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  Speaker 1: Violence Crisis Accommodation Project. What exactly is this and how
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  Speaker 1: does it work.
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  Speaker 2: Well as part of our national Safe Places program, which
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  Speaker 2: is a program to provide crisis accommodation for women who
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  Speaker 2: are making that really brave decision to escape a violent
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  Speaker 2: situation so that they've got somewhere to go, because we
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  Speaker 2: know that the most important thing is to give them
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  Speaker 2: a roof over their head in a safe space to.
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  Speaker 3: Gather their thoughts and to work out where they're going
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  Speaker 3: to as they escape that violent situation. So we provided
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  Speaker 3: four point three million dollars to the Salvation Army to
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  Speaker 3: make available the development of accommodation for up to two
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  Speaker 3: hundred women and their children every year in the Northern
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  Speaker 3: Territory escaping violence. So going out to meet with the
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  Speaker 3: Salvation Army to find out how they're going, because obviously
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  Speaker 3: we want to make sure this accommodation is built appropriately
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  Speaker 3: but as quickly as possible to support those women in
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  Speaker 3: the Northern Territory who need this service.
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  Speaker 1: Well, Minister for Families and Social Services as well as
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  Speaker 1: Minister for Women's Safety and Rustin, we really appreciate your
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  Speaker 1: time this morning. I know it's a very busy morning
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  Speaker 1: and you are heading out there right now to meet
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  Speaker 1: with them, so we are sciate you taking the time
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  Speaker 1: to have a chat with us.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks so much for having me, Katie.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you