The NSW government has announced a $ 100 million investment in women’s safety in public places, at home and at work as part of next week’s budget.
The versatile package is the latest in a series of budget announcements focusing on statewide social issues.
It also follows calls from domestic violence service providers for more support in the next state budget.
Here is what has been promised.
Stop the harassment on the street
To ensure the safety of women in public spaces after dark, the government will spend $ 30 million over two years to provide more street lighting and CCTV to public parks, as well as to improve pedestrian traffic.
The program will initially focus on Parramatta Park and The Rocks grounds in Sydney before expanding into the city and regional areas, with more locations to be announced in the coming months.
It will also include a campaign against street harassment to change the attitudes of the community.
“We make sure we listen to women and girls and provide safer cities,” said Natalie Ward, Minister of Homeland Security and Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence.
The safety review will include up to 10 pilot projects statewide. (ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
Treasurer Matt Kean said many women were afraid to walk around Sydney at night.
“I’ve heard too many stories of women making the long way home to avoid dark streets, or calling a friend while walking in case something goes wrong,” she said.
“When women return home from work, they should not be afraid of what is hidden in the shadows.”
Make the job safer
To counter sexual harassment at work, $ 4.8 million will be spent on a new working group run by Safe Work NSW to ensure employers take action to eradicate employee harassment.
The working group will focus especially on training and guidance in certain industries that are dominated by men.
“Safe work will focus on those high-risk jobs,” said Fair Trade Minister Eleni Petinos.
“We know that sexual harassment is a problem in our workplaces … one in four women has reported sexual harassment in the last five years.”
Fair Trade Minister Eleni Petinos said the working group would provide guidance to employers on best practices. (ABC News)
The program will aim to make more employers responsible if they do not fulfill their responsibilities to keep employees safe.
Ms Petinos said she would deliver the 2019 Respect at Work report from Australian Commissioner for Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, who found the harassment to be prevalent and widespread.
Support for survivors of domestic violence
The government has also earmarked $ 69 million for a project called Safer Pathways that will provide more integrated support systems for survivors of domestic violence survivors.
“We continue to make our justice fairer, less traumatic, faster, and less costly for all participants, especially victims-survivors of D and sexual violence,” said Attorney General Mark Speakman.
The investment will provide more case management services to surviving victims and improve the database used by police to refer people to support services.
Audiovisual liaison facilities at approximately 50 NSW courts and tribunals will also be expanded to allow surviving victims to testify remotely, thus minimizing trauma.
Court-appointed officers will also be trained to interrogate survivors, following laws passed last year that prevent self-represented defendants from examining whistleblowers of domestic violence.
“It’s an absolute farce that one in six people in our large country is sexually harassed or abused by a current or former partner,” Perrottet said.
“We have made great inroads over a period of time, but it is still a plague for our state and nation. As a government and as a people, we need to do better.”
Sexual violence survivor and anti-violence advocate Amanda Morgan, who is the founder of Make a Seat Australia, said these changes were not only necessary, but had to be made very late.
“I think this injection of money is so important … it will change lives,” he said.
“Having such an integration will mean that we do have education, support and communication between different services.”
Posted 1 h 1 hours agoDiss. June 18, 2022 at 4:20 AM, updated 1 hour ago 1 hour agoDiss. June 18, 2022 at 4:29 p.m.