Today in a Budget Estimates hearing, Abigail questioned the Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault about Labor's lack of urgency when it comes to doing what is needed to end domestic violence in our state. Read the exchange below.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Good morning, Minister, and all the long-suffering officials, many of you have been at a number of these estimates already. Just as a bit of context, as a crossbencher I have some awareness of the longer term when it comes to the workforce issue. I sat here for a very long time when the Opposition were in government, trying to get them to improve the workforce strategy for frontline domestic violence workers. I know that concerns were raised by the sector for a very long time that if we didn't do something to improve workforce conditions, we were going to end up with not having enough people to hire when we did have the money to hire them. That seems to be the position we are now in. Is that your understanding, Minister?

Ms JODIE HARRISON (Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault): I think I am quite comfortable with the way we are recruiting for the additional workers for the NPA. There is an ongoing issue with workforce, of course, as there is with huge parts of industry right across New South Wales, but particularly in the caring industries. It is something that I have conversations with stakeholders, including Domestic Violence NSW, on an ongoing basis. As you know, we are in the process of developing the workforce strategy. I might ask—

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Just before we do that, I guess what I'm trying to say is that it does seem like you inherited a huge amount of this problem. Do you think, given what has been happening in terms of the national conversation around employing these workers, that we are going to meet the targets? I understand already we are behind where we thought we would be. How bad is the issue? Does the Government need to do something a bit more extreme to try and attract workers back into this sector?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: The progress report we gave the Federal Government in relation to the recruitment of workers, which was dated April this year, indicates that we will have the 118 positions filled by the end of this year. I believe we are on track to do that. I believe that, certainly, we will be on track to fill the remainder by the end of this financial year, which is what the agreement requires.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: So when will the workforce development plan be released?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: There will be an approvals process in October this year, then it will be public after that, obviously.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: So why the delay, I guess?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: The approvals process requires the domestic violence board, and then ministerial approval.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: It's been 18 months that Labor has been in government. I appreciate the mess that was inherited, but why the delay on something as important as this?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I suppose there has been a huge focus on needing to get increased investment out, and so there has been some diversion of resources in relation to that, but I might ask Ms Campbell about that.

ANNE CAMPBELL (Deputy Secretary, Strategy, Policy and Commissioning, Department of Communities and Justice): I'm happy to. I'm not sure it's going to necessarily answer your question, but the survey closed 20 November 2023, so it's not that long ago.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: It's almost a year.

ANNE CAMPBELL: We had about 2,500 survey responses. We've received the draft survey finding reports, which were provided to us in December 2023, and which are currently being reviewed and finalised. Members of the Aboriginal reference group for the survey have provided feedback, so we are seeking feedback from particular key stakeholders. We're expecting, as the Minister said, to have a final report in October of this
year.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: It shocks me that we are already in September, but that is actually quite a long time since the survey was done. But also in the context of a sector that is incredibly mobilised and expert when it comes to giving advice to government. We know that they have been letting government know for a long time what we need to do to increase the quality and longevity of the workforce in this area. Minister, do you think it's good that it's taken that long? I don't understand—was it just a lack of focus and priority on that aspect? I've never been in government so I don't know how it works, but how does something like that take so long?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I think consultation takes a long time.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Does it, though?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: It can take a long time. But also, particularly in this space, there has been a need to ensure that when we get additional resources, which we've got—to the tune of $245 million—that we actually work with the sector to ensure that we are implementing that money in the best possible way. We have been working with the sector on the priorities that we have. I'm sure that while the workforce strategy remains a priority, they're really pleased that we've been able to work with them in getting this investment committed to and getting it identified in the right places, in the areas of most need and unmet need.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: One of the key issues that was identified by stakeholders and by the sector before the election, not just in domestic and family violence but in a lot of the community and caring sectors, was in relation to the duration of contracts and funding being given to frontline services in particular. I know that was being reviewed. Have we got to the point where we are offering people five-year and 10-year funding contracts? That's one of the main reasons people were leaving, because the doors were almost closing constantly. Has that come through?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: In some cases we do currently have five-year contracts in the domestic and family violence area. That piece of work is, obviously, a wider piece of work right across government and is still ongoing, being led by, I believe, Minister Washington. It is one of the reasons for the new national partnership agreement. In National Cabinet we were strong on wanting to have a long-term national partnership agreement— a five-year national partnership agreement.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Sure. They go hand in hand. It doesn't matter how much funding you have if you can't deploy the funding because there is no-one to hire. Just so you understand where I'm coming from, Minister, it feels like work is being done but not to the extent required or quickly. We all acknowledge that the domestic and family violence crisis is here and present and needs to be dealt with, but it feels a little like I'm sitting in my lounge room, my child comes in and tells me there is an imminent danger outside and I say, "Yes, I'll be on it in a minute" and then I start playing with my phone. If it was an emergency, I would leap up and do everything I could. But instead we are having review after review, and delay after delay. At what point do we see the Government begin to act with the urgency required on these sorts of issues?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I think characterising it as "having review after review, and delay after delay" is unfair.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Well, you tell me, because I don't understand why it would take so long.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: We have seen a major increase in financial investment in domestic and family  violence in recent—

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Not in frontline workers.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: It is in frontline workers: Staying Home Leaving Violence caseworkers; the specialist children's workers are caseworkers; and Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services provides casework for complex cases.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Minister, I'm not going to criticise the investment in WDVCAS. I think that's fantastic. You say that the other money is for workforce—

Ms JODIE HARRISON: Staying Home Leaving Violence money is not brokerage; it is caseworkers.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: For new workforce, not for the existing?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: It is a combination.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: How any of them have been employed? Has that money been deployed and are there now more people servicing Staying Home Leaving Violence?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: As you know, the budget was brought down in June. There has been work done to work out where we can expand existing Staying Home Leaving Violence services into areas that aren't covered.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Although we have increased the coverage of Staying Home Leaving Violence, we haven't increased the amount given per location, have we?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: Yes.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: We have?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: Well, it will be a combination.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: How much is each service increasing by? That's not the feedback that we're getting.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I can't give you the detail of that. The purpose of the $48 million was predominantly to expand into new areas, and there may well be uplifts—

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Is there, though?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: —of existing where they are likely to result in better results for adjoining areas.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: I asked about this in debate on the budget when it first came out, and the answer I got was that we didn't have an uplift in areas. But if we do, I'd love to hear about it.

ANNE CAMPBELL: Yes, we definitely have. As the Minister said, for the additional 14 LGAs we're varying their contracts to cover other LGAs, and that includes additional staffing. But I can get some more—

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: But is there, anywhere, an existing service that's doing Staying Home Leaving Violence work and their money has been increased?

ANNE CAMPBELL: Yes.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: For the area that they currently service?

ANNE CAMPBELL: No, new locations.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Exactly. Given that the review into Staying Home Leaving Violence identified all of the different areas that need to be improved, and given that workers are telling us they're already overworked and are unable to do that work properly, why is there no additional funding being given to those people so that they can do the Staying Home Leaving Violence work better in their existing area?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: We have additional investment with caseworkers for Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: That's not Staying Home Leaving Violence.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: No, but it's frontline workers for WDVCAS, and we've got the—

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: That is a very particular part, but what about the people who are dealing with women in crisis at that moment? The Staying Home Leaving Violence program shows great promise if it is funded properly. What we're hearing is it's not being funded properly. I appreciate there is a review into what happened with Molly Ticehurst, but why is there no additional funding being given to existing services? We are seeing that across the board. Domestic Violence NSW has been asking for ages for an uplift in core funding for frontline workers. They have just said, "We need at least 50 per cent more." They were disappointed at the last budget. It is always new funding for new programs and expanding things. Given we're trying to retain our workforce, why aren't we giving more money to existing services?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: That is why we've provided additional money to Staying Home Leaving Violence across the State and why we're funding—

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: But you haven't. You've expanded the service. You have not increased the funding for existing services for Staying Home Leaving Violence.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: To be honest, I think it would be better, if we have additional investment as a first step—which is what that announcement was—to invest in areas where there are no services.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Okay, but we want it done properly.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: And I said, "As a first step". We said, with that emergency announcement back in May that was committed in the budget in June, that that was a first step. We need to fill the gaps.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Seeing what has happened since Victoria put a significant investment into dealing with the domestic and family violence crisis—it is a crude number, but seeing the number of women being killed every week coming down in Victoria and the number of domestic and family violence incidents coming down in Victoria—do you think it's appropriate that New South Wales is still only funding this problem to one-half or to one-third of what Victoria is?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: The Premier has said that we do not invest as other States do—

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: No, you certainly don't.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: —particularly Victoria and Queensland. I don't think their rates are going down, but they are not going up in the way that ours are.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: No. They are going down, by the way.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: The Premier has clearly said that we need to do better, and that's exactly what we intend on doing.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: But we don't want words; we want some money.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: There is $245 million additional in the budget this year.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: I'm really glad we could get that, but there was still none for frontline services. Again, it brings us back to the workforce issue. You are sitting there telling us that, "We're trying to secure this money under the national partnership agreement so we can hire more workers" and "We're behind on hiring these workers, but we're going to do it." How can we do that? We have a workforce that is so overworked and under-resourced already, that has been crying out for an increase in core funding for frontline services, and your Government keeps refusing to give it. How is that appropriate?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: We are working to increase the investment that we have in domestic and family violence. There are lots of things that this Government inherited that will take time to bring to fruition.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: I appreciate that. But do you think it's being honest to then say, "But we're doing all of these things"?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I think we need to recognise—

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: To clarify, I'm not saying you're not being honest. I'm saying the Government as a whole is telling us on the one hand, "We've inherited these problems. We know it's an issue. We give you our word, this is a big commitment," but then the actual money expended is not what is required. It is not even a smidgen of what is required. Is it that the case that your Government is much happier to give money to new projects and new services than it is to actually fund existing services that impact on the bottom line in the budget?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I think that's not a correct characterisation of what the Government's intention is to do. Can I say as well, in pulling together the emergency package prior to announcing it, the Government consulted with Domestic Violence NSW, consulted with No to Violence, consulted with—

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: What does "consulted" mean in that context, though? Does that mean listening to the feedback and adapting and changing, or does it just mean "we spoke with them beforehand"? Because, with respect, a lot of the Ministers that I've spoken to, when they say "consulted", it just means that they talked to them about it beforehand. It didn't mean that they actually took on their views, but it is used—this "consulted with"— as though it means "paid attention to the views of".

Ms JODIE HARRISON: We said, "This is the span of the package that we're looking at doing. This is the funding envelope that we've got. This is the span of the services that we're proposing to invest in. Does that look right to you?" And the feedback was, "Yes." Can we do more? Yes, we can always do more.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: They didn't ask for more base funding?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: It was in that funding envelope that we were talking about.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Did they ask for more baseline funding?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I think Domestic Violence NSW will always ask for more baseline funding.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Because they know that that is critical to keeping a workforce that you are then able to deploy, and to get more people in, in order to then spend the money coming from the NPA, which brings us right back to the beginning. How can we be encouraging a strong, resilient workforce in this sector if we continue to underfund core services? These people are so overworked; they're exhausted. They're turning people away. They've got people sleeping on their porches, and they've got people sleeping in nearby car parks that they're trying to service. They just need an uplift in funding. I appreciate that you have inherited a lot of this problem, but you've been in now for 18 months and we still don't have an uplift in that core funding. Is that acceptable, Minister?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: There is an uplift in the core funding.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Not for existing services. Only for—

Ms JODIE HARRISON: By expanding services there will be some relief to existing services.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: How?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: That will be through increased Staying Home Leaving Violence caseworkers. That will be through increased—

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: But you're increasing the amount of work they have to do as well. For Staying Home Leaving Violence, you're saying, "You now have to service a broader area so we'll give you extra money to do that extra bit of work, but we're still not giving you the money you need to do the work you were already doing at a level that allows you to have respite, that allows you to go and have training and that allows you to actually think that you're making a difference." I'm sure you've spoken with them.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: That is exactly what we did with WDVCAS, because they—

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: I've appreciated that. WDVCAS, as you know, is a separate part of the front line. I appreciate what's been done there, and I think it's great. I'm talking about the other frontline workers who are having to turn people away, who are working 15- or 16-hour days every day and who cannot take a break because there's no-one to cover for them. Those people haven't had an uplift in their base funding. Do you appreciate how stressful that is for people, and why people don't want to then come into this workforce?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: The work that the people within the domestic and family violence sector do is absolutely incredible. I know that sounds like just words, but it's truly heartfelt. I am very keen to see increased funding across the board in domestic and family violence now and into the future. I completely intend on continuing to push for increased funding. I think we've heard from the Treasurer, and we've heard from the Premier, that the emergency package was the first step.

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Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Thanks for filling in while I jumped between different hearings. Minister, I understand that, when I was out, there was discussion in relation to the coercive control advertising campaign. I want to check what the process is for evaluating that. Is that entirely with the Attorney General, or is there some input from yourself in relation to that?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I take a really keen interest in that education campaign. Was the question particularly relating to evaluation of the education campaign?

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Yes. What's the process for evaluating it?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: The implementation evaluation taskforce for the coercive control offence has oversight of, obviously, all of the aspects in relation to the offence. The implementation and evaluation taskforce, and particularly the reference groups, are currently looking at what their roles are going to be in relation to the monitoring of the offence.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: What piqued my interest is I was looking at the third statutory report from the taskforce from 1 June 2024. In the back, there's an appendix that lists the issues that reference groups have raised and how the taskforce dealt with it. One of those shows that there was concern that, although the advertising campaign might increase awareness, it might not necessarily then lead to measuring behaviour change. The response from the taskforce was that: The Taskforce further notes advice from DCJ that raising awareness and understanding of coercive control were the objectives of the campaign as market research demonstrated an immediate need to raise awareness about coercive control. Further attitude and behaviour change may be considered for potential future campaigns. Minister, were you involved in that advice coming from DCJ that this advertising campaign was not about
changing behaviour but instead about raising awareness for the concept?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: No, I don't believe that I was involved in advice from DCJ, but I can certainly—

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Can someone—maybe Ms Campbell or someone else?

MICHAEL TIDBALL (Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice): I'm chair of the taskforce, Ms Boyd, and I will own that was stridently the view of the taskforce at that stage, so that's a matter of fact in that sense. In terms of the evaluation and where we go now, it will be timely. There is an initial evaluation report due within six months of the implementation of the law. I think all of those things and the appropriateness of the campaign need to come into scope and, of course, it
will be reviewed.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: When will we have a campaign that's actually designed to change behaviour?

MICHAEL TIDBALL: I chair the taskforce and I've clearly owned what the purpose was of the first round of advertising. I do not want to commit the taskforce. I'm, of course, able to undertake to actively interrogate that issue with the taskforce and with the taskforce as it reaches out to the sector.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Mr Tidball, can I ask if you've read the white paper that was produced by Jess Hill and Michael Salter in relation to prevention?

MICHAEL TIDBALL: I know of that paper. I will always be careful in evidence what I say about papers because I read a lot of things.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: That's fine.

MICHAEL TIDBALL: I have cursorily looked at that paper. It would be inaccurate in my evidence to say—

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: I've only read it once. I'm not going to grill you on what the details are.

MICHAEL TIDBALL: I'm aware of it. I have not read it in close detail.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: One of the striking things from that paper, from my perspective, was the research it had brought together from previous public health campaigns that was basically saying you can't just design a campaign to make people aware of a thing; it doesn't change behaviour. To change behaviour, you actually need to do a far more detailed piece of targeted outreach. As someone who was keenly pushing for us to put coercive control on the agenda, the whole point was to get people to change their behaviour, not necessarily just put a law in place. That's why I'm asking. I come back to you, Minister. Where is the funding for that actual behaviour change piece when it comes to coercive control?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I think the behaviour change piece is not just relating to coercive control, because it relates to everything in relation to behaviour around relationships and what's acceptable and what we expect.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: But we know that 99 per cent of domestic homicides have coercive control in them, so it's effectively the same thing.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: Absolutely. It is about changing—we do need to change attitudes. As you rightly said, the education piece around the legislation is about informing people of the legislation. We've got to do more, though. As has been identified in that report that you referenced, it is not just about doing an education campaign to prevent gendered violence, but to prevent coercive control, which is so often the early stages of gendered violence. We need to educate from an early age, not only an education campaign. We need to educate in our schools. We need to educate in our sporting fields. We need to educate right across community. We need to educate and create conversations within employers, as well—a range of things.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Yes, so long as those—it's evidence-based education programs that lead to behaviour change.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: Absolutely.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Just to that, there was an odd one that came up last week, I think. There was an announcement that the New South Wales Government had given $1 million to a one-year program to get the Central Coast Mariners to teach people about domestic and family violence. Do you know about this one?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I was actually at that launch.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Was there an evidence base for what they're doing in relation to that program?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: They're working with the University of Newcastle.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Is there already an evidence base for that program? It seems to be run by a company called Enrichd, which seems to have no real experience in this. I understand you say they're working with the Newcastle uni, but again, in the context of there being so many evidence-based programs and services needing support, why are we giving $1 million for a photo op with the Central Coast Mariners?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: There will certainly be an evaluation of that program undertaken at its completion. That particular commitment was in addition to the $38 million that we've committed for the rolling out of the primary prevention strategy.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: It just seems like a very strange use of money, don't you think, Minister— $1 million? It's very flashy. I think there were something like six Ministers there to hang out with the players for that announcement. Do you really think that $1 million on a program like that for a one-year program that has no evidence base yet was a good use of what we're being told are really scarce resources to dedicate to this issue?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I think there's a range of ways. There's certainly a place for sport and sporting organisations in raising awareness—sorry, not raising awareness, but in education and appropriate behaviours. It's good.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: No-one is saying that it's not, but we're talking about priorities. We keep being told there are limited funds and that not everyone can have everything. There are all of these services crying out for money and yet we're giving $1 million to something that six Ministers turn up to a press conference for. It looks a little on the nose. Do you think it's defensible?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I think it's important that we do have sporting organisations involved in raising awareness and being part of conversations to change attitudes towards domestic and family violence. The role that they play in schools is important—the education in schools is really, really important. Respectful relationships education in schools is incredibly important.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Where does this $1 million come from—which part of funding?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I believe it comes from the Office of Sport.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: When will the New South Wales Government release the strategy for the prevention of domestic, family and sexual violence 2024-27?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: It is imminent.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Why the delay?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: We worked really, really well with Our Watch. Our Watch provided the draft. In addition to the consultation that was undertaken in the production, we wanted to go back to key stakeholders and make sure that they were comfortable with what was going to be the final adoption. And then it's taken time to get through the taskforce, the domestic and family violence board, Cabinet—it's imminent.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: It sounds like a good reason for a delay, if you had something and you need to consult more. I guess we're still somewhere off having an actual date for its release.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: It's very, very imminent.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: DVNSW has called for $100 million over four years to be committed to that strategy. The New South Wales Government announced $38 million, I think, over four years plus a separate $8 million for the "All In" program.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: That's right.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: That's $54 million less than what was asked for. I think, again, the pace of change seems a bit slow. What are you doing to advocate for that additional money—that additional $60 million—to be delivered so that this can be done properly?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I'll just clarify that the $38 million plus the $8 million for "All In" does not include respectful relationships education, which occurs in schools, which will be a major part of the education, or a key component of the education as well.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: How much has been dedicated to that?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I don't have that figure. That would have to be from the education Minister.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: It's great that we now have that as part of the curriculum, but I understand that that's a bit of a slow, nebulous process as well. Is there going to be direct input from you and your office into how that gets rolled out, and trained and implemented?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: Myself and my office have had discussions with the education Minister's office on this matter. There has been a review of the curriculum in relation to respectful relationships education. I think the key thing is to ensure that teachers feel comfortable when that education is provided, and the model of how it's rolled out is, to my understanding, still actually being worked through.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: It's a big ask for teachers.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: Absolutely.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: It's necessary, but a big ask. I know that there was some discussion of Core and Cluster, but I understand tranche 3 is not yet finalised. When we have 39 refuges for the Core and Cluster tranches 1 and 2, plus what's planned for tranche 3, are you able to tell us how many refuges in total you expect will have been built under that program?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I can't tell you how many refuges, but the expectation is that we will have beds and pillows for an additional 2,900 women and children every year.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Will there be 36 refuges included in tranche 3?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: No.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: The initial goal was 75 new refuges in total. That's not going to be the case now?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: No. The previous Government moved away from that 75 figure.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: So the 75 went down to—

Ms JODIE HARRISON: The previous Government moved away from providing a number of refuges with that Core and Cluster and moved to the target of 2,900 women and children being supported every year.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: How many Aboriginal-led refuges are in that amount of new Core and Cluster?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I can give you what we've got in tranches 1 and 2, I think. I obviously can't give you tranche 3 yet. I might come back after the break with that answer for you.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: That would be good. How many of the organisations contracted to deliver Core and Cluster services were already providing specialist domestic and family violence services prior to the tender process versus those that didn't?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I'll need to take that on notice, I think.

ANNE CAMPBELL: I think pretty much all of them have had some exposure to delivering domestic and sexual violence services.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Okay.

ANNE CAMPBELL: Just in terms of the ACCO, there are five ACCO-led projects among the 39, so tranche 1 and tranche 2.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Are there going to be 16 Aboriginal-led refuges in tranche 3?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: That's highly unlikely.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: The previous Government had a target of 21 Aboriginal-led refuges across the three tranches. Did they abandon that goal as well, or is that—

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I think tranches 1 and 2 were really done in a market-led way. That has been part of the challenge with tranche 3. Certainly the figures that were given at the original announcement in relation to Core and Cluster—because it was done through a market-led process, tranche 1 and tranche 2, that's a significant part of the investment for Core and Cluster, which I think is a really great investment. A significant part of that
investment was spent using a market-led approach which meant that targets were really going to be very difficult to achieve in relation to particular types of providers.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: For the 2,900-bed target, are you saying that we will get to that point with tranche 3?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: We're certainly expecting that we will by the end of 2026.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Were any of the organisations contracted to deliver Core and Cluster services lacking experience in providing specialist domestic and family violence services?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: No, they wouldn't have been contracted to do so.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: None at all?

ANNE CAMPBELL: No. In terms of the criteria, you had to have—I can't remember the exact criteria in terms of the selection, but it was very much demonstrating their experience and expertise in delivering these sorts of services.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: There was another report yesterday of needle spiking in nightclubs. This is an issue that I've raised previously. It goes beyond drink spiking to women being spiked with needles, with similar intention, by men in clubs. Is this an issue you're aware of, and have you done anything in response to that specifically?

Ms JODIE HARRISON: I haven't seen the reports from yesterday.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: It was an issue that came up a lot, not last year but the year before. It seemed to have stopped being reported as often, and now we've got another spate of them. I'm trying to find a copy of the article. Maybe we can come back to that after the break as well and see if there is anything that you can update us on.

Ms JODIE HARRISON: Yes.

Read the full transcript here.

11 September 2024