A surge in calls for help from women fleeing family violence has prompted the Victorian government to allocate $4m to frontline response services.
The funding announced on Tuesday includes $1.4m over four years for Domestic Violence Victoria, and $600,000 towards improving responses for Indigenous victims of family violence.
Data from Victoria police shows Indigenous Australians represented 3.4% of family violence victims last year, despite making up just 0.9% of the state’s population.
The minister for housing, Martin Foley, told Guardian Australia there had been “enormous growth” in women seeking help since the government announced it would hold a royal commission into family violence.
The commission will begin its public hearings on Monday, when experts and stakeholders will discuss how family violence can be prevented.
“The fact there is more attention on the issue and recognition of its importance has encouraged more women to come forward, often women with children, and frontline services, advocacy organisations and community groups have reported a very significant increase in demand on services,” Foley said.
“So we’ve allocated some funding to respond to this growth, and it is meant to be just an initial response to growing demand.”
The funding was announced at the new headquarters for the Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service in the Melbourne suburb of Abbotsford.
Its chief executive, Antoinette Braybrook, said with support from a Victoria Legal Aid innovation grant she hoped to develop the building into a “culturally safe, tailor-made and holistic centre” where Indigenous survivors of family violence could access services.
“Our community hub will celebrate Aboriginal culture while providing practical support in areas covering a range of legal issues, family violence, education, early intervention and prevention, among others,” she said.
An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report released last month showed Indigenous Australian women were taken to hospital for assault injuries at 31 times the rate of non-Indigenous women.
The chief executive of Domestic Violence Victoria, Fiona McCormack, thanked the government for “recognising the critical role of a family violence peak body in speaking on behalf of women and children experiencing family violence and the services that work with them”.
“It’s a relief to know that our funding is now secure for the next few years; this will allow us to get on with the critical work of building a safer and healthier community for all Victorians,” she said.
