Friday, 25 May, 2018

The Andrews Labor Government is supporting organisations in Gippsland to continue running their programs to prevent family violence.

Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Natalie Hutchins visited Lake Tyers today to announce funding for two Aboriginal organisations to continue rolling out their family violence prevention programs.

Lake Tyers Health and Children’s Services and Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Cooperative have secured grants of $100,000 and $20,000 respectively under the Aboriginal Family Violence Primary Prevention Fund.

The funding will allow Lake Tyers Health and Children’s Services to roll out a series of workshops and leadership programs aimed at Aboriginal men and boys that will work to prevent family violence.

Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Cooperative will use the funding to establish a weekly Aboriginal women’s group to promote primary prevention.

These grants will ensure Aboriginal-led services in Gippsland are resourced to lead primary prevention work in Aboriginal communities, consistent with the Labor Government’s commitment to self-determination.

While in Lake Tyers, Ms Hutchins also announced a grant of $173,749 for Save the Children from the Labor Government’s Free From Violence Fund.

This funding will help Save the Children work with rural communities in East Gippsland to prevent family violence by delivering training, leadership and parenting programs.

These programs form part of the almost $2.4 billion investment the Government has made to eliminating family violence and all forms of violence against women.

Funding to the three organisations aligns with Victoria’s primary prevention strategy.

For more information on the strategy, visit vic.gov.au/familyviolence/prevention-strategy

Quotes attributable to Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Women Natalie Hutchins:

“To end family violence once and for all we need to build local programs that we know work, and invest in developing new programs like those in Gippsland. That’s exactly what we’re doing.”

“Aboriginal Victorians have consistently taken the lead in preventing family violence within their communities. This program will ensure the Gippsland Aboriginal community can continue to lead their prevention work.”
 
Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing:

“These organisations have come up with new and different approaches to ending family violence. This funding will add to the intensive work already underway to prevent family violence in Gippsland, now and for future generations.”