The federal and territory governments have announced a suite of funding measures for domestic violence services across the NT. The Commonwealth money includes an investment in Central Australian legal services to extend support to victim survivors in remote communities, which the sector says couldn't come sooner.
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00:00A boost in federal funding, welcomed by DV Services in desperate need.
00:08$9 million in total is coming from the Central Australia plan.
00:13What we see at the moment, because we are so underfunded,
00:16especially by the Northern Territory Government,
00:18is that we're operating at a crisis response.
00:20The Legal Support Service are one of four organisations in Central Australia
00:25to receive federal money for programs addressing domestic violence.
00:29The funds, to be pulled from the $250 million Commonwealth Support Package
00:34for the region, pledged at the start of 2023.
00:38The federal government also promising separate funding
00:41for 14 emergency homes for women and children in Alice Springs.
00:46We have announced over $7 million to develop 56 safe places here in Alice Springs.
00:54The Territory Government joining in with a pledge of $8.6 million
00:59to help domestic violence survivors access essential services.
01:03Funds, it says, are separate to its election promise of $180 million to the sector.
01:10It's a joint initiative with the Northern Territory Government
01:13and the federal government.
01:14Again, it's something that's being worked on over the last 18 months.
01:18It's well known that the need is enormous and services are overwhelmed.
01:23The anti-government holding off to the end of the month to allocate more funds.