Thursday, 11 May 2017

The Andrews Labor Government is delivering on its promised Support and Safety Hubs, giving survivors of family violence access to crucial support.

Harriet Shing, Member for Eastern Victoria Region, today announced that the Victorian Budget 2017/18 confirms that Gippsland will share in $448.1 million to establish one of the 17 Support and Safety Hubs across the state.

The Hubs, which were a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Family Violence, will put the safety of women and children first.

They will serve as a visible contact point for victim survivors and give local communities access to highly skilled workers with connections to the justice system and social services, including housing.

The first Hubs will be launched in the Barwon, Bayside Peninsula, Inner Gippsland, Mallee and North-East Melbourne DHHS regions later this year, with the others rolled out in subsequent years.

The Budget also invests $95.4 million in Victoria’s social services and justice workforces to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge to better target family violence.

This funding will establish a Centre for Workplace Excellence and see the roll out of a plan to improve workforce capability and training.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing:

“As part of the $1.9 billion Family Violence funding in the 2017/2018 Victorian budget, a Gippsland Safety Hub will provide life-changing protection and support to women and children exposed to family violence. For many victims, knowing they have somewhere safe to go can make all the difference.”

“This funding is part of building a new system to prevent and break the cycle of family violence, hold perpetrators accountable and properly protect victims and survivors. Taking this action now, to properly implement all recommendations of the Family Violence Royal Commission, will save lives.”