“Our federal government will spend $50 billion on submarines but both parties seem to want a standing ovation for announcing a fraction of what’s needed to keep women safe from family violence.”

The federal government is leaving "thousands of women in danger" by failing to adequately fund domestic violence services, advocates say.

The chief executive of Fair Agenda, an independent community organisation that fights for equal rights for women, Renee Carr, told BuzzFeed News 160,000 woman are turned away from underfunded services each year.

“There are more women seeking refuges than the refuges are funded to take. “Women in some parts of Australia can’t access Family Violence Prevention Legal Services simply because of where they live,” she said.

Carr says the government could learn from Victoria’s example and address gaps in tackling domestic violence by upping its funding to $4 billion over two years.

“Victoria recognised that it would take $572 million to address massive service and system gaps in just one state. Most of the key family violence services rely on joint federal and state funding to operate,” Carr told BuzzFeed News.

Julian Smith / AAPIMAGE

BuzzFeed

The Coalition’s minister for women, Michaelia Cash, said the government has “shown national leadership” in taking action against domestic violence.

The Coalition has made two $100 million announcements over the past eight months including $21 million for specific measures to assist Indigenous women and communities.

Cash said the government has also provided $230 million over two years to states and territories under the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness with funding priority given to frontline services focusing on women and children experiencing domestic violence.

“This is the first time a government has prioritised women and children experiencing domestic violence in homelessness funding,” she said.

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But Labor's family violence spokesperson Terri Butler said the Coalition has made it harder for women to find help because they have under-funded counselling, cut legal services and failed to provide enough funding for homelessness.

“The Liberals have cut frontline services for women experiencing family and domestic violence – like their $24 million in cuts to community legal centres, their $15 million in cuts to legal aid, and their cuts of $44 million per year to the capital expenditure component of homelessness funding,” Butler said.

Labor last year announced $75 million for frontline legal services, Safe at Home Grants and research on mapping perpetrator interactions, and last week committed a further $65 million, most of which is earmarked for sexual assault and violence counselling service 1800 RESPECT.

Butler told BuzzFeed News 1800 RESPECT did not have sufficient funding to meet existing demand.

“We want to increase the funding per year and also commit to providing it to the end of the National Plan, which is a longer period than most government service agreements.”

Mick Tsikas / AAPIMAGE

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