Extra funding will help clear a waiting list for women seeking help against violence in Central Australia.
An additional $7.6 million to support women and children experiencing domestic violence and expanding temporary accommodation places was announced on Thursday by Assistant Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy and Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour.
The Northern Territory has some of the highest rates of domestic and family violence in the country, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics finding 7700 First Nations people per 100,000 (or 6100) recorded a family assault to the police in 2022.
Women’s Safety Services of Central Australia (WoSSCA) will receive $4.1 million over four years to fund six additional roles, to help expand capacity in Yuendumu, Papunya, Ntaria and Ti Tree, and a children's advocate.
WoSSCA chief executive Larissa Ellis said the extra funding would help to clear wait list in remote communities and reduce the need for people to travel to Alice Springs for assistance.
“Our services deliver a crucial support for women and children in Alice Springs and surrounding communities and with this funding we’re ensuring that if women need our help, we can be better positioned to provide it," she said.
“When it comes to family violence where you live shouldn’t dictate how much support you can get, that’s why we’re focusing on our services for regional communities to ensure that support is where it’s needed most.”
Aboriginal Hostels Limited will receive $3.5 million to construct up to 20 additional short-term beds at Apmere Mwerre Visitor Park in Alice Springs, offering families a safe place to sleep and to seek support.
The NT held the nation's largest coronial inquest into domestic violence in 2023, where domestic violence homicide rates are seven times higher than the national average.
Aboriginal people accounted for 88 per cent of domestic and family violence-related assault victim-survivors in the NT in 2021, 79 per cent of whom were women.
Sophie Hantz, senior policy officer at the NT Council of Social Service (NTCOSS), told AAP the funding was a fantastic start to the year.
"Children as victim-survivors in their own right often have complex and distinct needs from their parents," she said.
"So being able to have specific workers for children who are presenting to the service is awesome."
The NT government deployed at least 50 extra police to Alice Springs over summer as part of its plan to try to address alcohol-related offending.
Carol Smith, principal legal officer at Central Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Unit (CAAFLU), said the investment into domestic and family violence was welcome, but funds were desperately needed by Aboriginal community controlled organisations.
"CAAFLU already provides an outreach legal and support service to Aboriginal women and children in Yuendumu, Papunya and Ntaria but we have not received any additional funding to continue the work we have been doing for 24 years, despite seeing an increase in the numbers of people needing to access our services," Ms Smith, an Arrernte woman, said.
"We are aware that there are a number of remote Aboriginal communities in the Central Australian and Barkly regions, such as Mutitjulu and Finke, that do not receive any legal service support."
Senator McCarthy said all women and children deserve to feel safe and supported.
