Seven times the national average, but just $13m extra in frontline DV care funding

The Commonwealth and NT have committed an additional $13m funding for domestic violence services. Read what for.

Darwin, NT, 22/1/25: Domestic Violence Prevention Minister Robyn Cahill announced an extra support to frontline domestic violence services in the NT. Picture: Fia Walsh.

With domestic violence rates seven times the national average in a jurisdiction with one per cent of Australia’s population, a new Commonwealth-Territory funding agreement will deliver $13m additional DV funding over five years.

The funding equates to less than two per cent of the total $700m national funding pool (a little over $2.5m extra a year) from the National Partnership Agreement on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Responses.

NT police respond to dozens of domestic violence call-outs every day, and the additional Commonwealth-NT money is intended to boost funding for “frontline” critical family, domestic and sexual violence services Territory-wide.

Federal Social Services Minister, Amanda Rishworth, said the renewed partnership brings to almost $20m since 2022 the Australian Government investment under the national partnering agreement.

She said the government’s aim is to end “gender-based violence” in one generation, and this would only occur in partnership with all governments across Australia.

Hon Amanda Rishworth MP. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“We do not accept any level of domestic and family violence, and by working in partnership with the Northern Territory government we will drive safer outcomes for First Nations women together,” Ms Rishworth said.

The most recent reportable Northern Territory monthly crime statistics showed that in December 2024 there were 733 domestic violence related assaults in the Territory – about 24 every day.

In response, NT Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence, Robyn Cahill, pointed to the outsized domestic violence rates in the Territory.

“With the incidence of domestic, family and sexual violence in the Northern Territory occurring at seven times the national average, funding support from the federal government is critical.” Ms Cahill said.

“This partnership delivers much needed funding to front line service providers who work to support victim-survivors of domestic violence.

Former Government minister Kate Worden Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“It will also assist as we work to address the root causes of this scourge on our community to break what at times seems a relentless cycle of violence.”

When a previous FDSV funding extension was announced in December 2023, former DV Prevention Minister Kate Worden wrote to Minister Rishworth implicitly criticising the contribution.

“I note the Northern Territory has been allocated 1.9 per cent of the additional $157.2m funding under the FDSV national partnership,” Ms Worden said. “We look forward to working with the Commonwealth to review the needs-based funding model under the National Partnership evaluation to ensure future funding allocations are appropriate and commensurate to need.”

Ms Rishworth said the renewed FDSV National Partnership would deliver over $700 million across all jurisdictions in new, matched investments from the Commonwealth and states and territories, supporting frontline FDSV services, including specialist services for women and children impacted by FDSV, and men’s behaviour change programs.

An additional $1 million will also be used for an independent evaluation of the renewed FDSV National Partnership.

More information on the FDSV National Partnership Agreement is available on the Federal Financial Relations website.

Originally published as Seven times the national average, but just $13m extra in frontline DV care funding