The Illawarra Women’s Health Centre has welcomed the NSW Government’s $227 million legal reform package to improve the system’s response to domestic, family, and sexual violence – but says funding promised for frontline services still falls well short of what is urgently needed to meet growing demand and keep women safe.
The NSW Government announced the FY26 budget will contain spending to provide more resources to support victim-survivors who have to navigate the legal system.
The announcement includes an additional $227 million over five years for government support services, which help people access counselling and financial assistance. This includes $49 million for a hub to support victim-survivors, expected to open in late 2027 and will allow witnesses to give evidence remotely, as well as providing services like counselling, legal aid and financial advice.
Anticipated to be operating from late 2027, it will allow witnesses to give evidence remotely via video link and reduce trauma by saving victim-survivors from having to be in the same court complex and courtroom where they may encounter their perpetrator, for example, women and children giving evidence against a domestic violence offender.
Witnesses and victims will be supported at the hub with services such counselling, legal aid, and financial advice.
The Government said it would also provide a total of $272 million towards frontline domestic violence services, including introducing five-year contracts for most support services in the domestic, family and sexual violence sectors.
Sally Stevenson, Executive Director of the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre, said the investment is a signal that the government is listening to some of the sector’s requests.
“The legal system is a critical point of intervention for victim-survivors, and we welcome the $227 million investment in the Victims’ Support Service and the creation of a new court hub,” Ms Stevenson said.
“Facilities that allow women and children to give evidence remotely, away from their abuser, will significantly reduce retraumatisation.”
However, she added we must remember that many, many victim-survivors do not engage with the legal system for a multitude of reasons, including the lack of justice ultimately delivered. This means that frontline services will still operate well beyond their limits. Significant additional and sustained funding for frontline services is vital.
“Many women we see every day live in fear. They need specialist, trauma-informed support that is holistic – not just legal assistance, but healthcare, mental health support, housing advocacy, and safety planning,” she said.
“Our services are stretched. Our books are full. This package provides some important support, but without an increase in the total funding envelope, it doesn’t match the scale of what’s required.”
Ms Stevenson acknowledged the introduction of five-year contracts for key services as a significant and positive shift, offering much-needed stability for the sector, but warns that the overall investment does not go far enough to address the scale or complexity of the crisis.
“We’re pleased to see the Government moving toward longer-term contracts. That certainty matters. But this isn’t just about how long the money lasts – it’s about how much money there is,” she said.
“We are in the middle of a country-wide domestic, family and sexual violence epidemic. Rates continue to climb, and the demand is overwhelming. This package simply isn’t large enough to meet that need.”
The Illawarra Women’s Health Centre is urging the NSW Government to increase its investment in frontline domestic, family, and sexual violence services by at least 50%.
The NSW Budget announcement includes:
- $49.4 million to establish a new vulnerable persons court hub to allow victim-survivors to give evidence remotely and avoid contact with perpetrators.
- $34.5 million to refurbish the Downing Centre and John Madison Tower and create at least five new courtrooms.
- Funding for at least 10 new virtual courtrooms equipped with audio-visual link facilities to support remote bail hearings.
- $48.3 million for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, enabling the hiring of additional solicitors to support more prosecutions.
- $12.8 million for 15 staff to support child complainants and witnesses in sexual offence proceedings through the Child Sexual Offence Evidence Program.
- $100.5 million additional funding for Corrective Services NSW to manage rising demand and implement new domestic violence bail laws.
- $2.3 million to support reforms to the NSW Victims Register, ensuring victims receive critical information about an offender’s sentence, location, and parole status.
- $9.3 million to implement Serious Domestic Abuse Prevention Orders, allowing courts to impose strict conditions on high-risk offenders.
- $11.2 million to commence long-term system reform, including early intervention and workforce development, including:
- 5-year contracts for most domestic and family violence services, delivering long-term funding certainty.
- $3.6 million for a Common Approach to Risk Assessment and Safety framework.
- $2.5 million for the Domestic and Family Violence Workforce Strategy.
- $3.1 million for a Data Strategy to measure outcomes and identify gaps.
- 5-year contracts for most domestic and family violence services, delivering long-term funding certainty.
$2 million to implement the Aboriginal Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Plan as part of Closing the Gap Target 13.
