New South Wales to unveil emergency domestic violence housing package within ... trends now
An emergency package for women who are seeking shelter from domestic violence is set to be unveiled by the NSW government next week.
Deputy Premier Prue Car announced the housing package on Friday saying that it would focus an prevention and assisting women trying to leave dangerous situations.
Ms Car said it would be the first step in a larger push by her government to improve the safety of women after an alarming spike in gender-based violence.
Following a cabinet meeting on Friday, which heard from experts and campaigners, Ms Car said: 'Primary prevention and early intervention does need more attention because we need to drive the cultural change that stops this from happening'.
Ms Car, who is the housing minister, said the government will look at under-used accommodation facilities with a view to repurposing them as shelters or even long-term housing.
She also said education would be focus.
'Education is always, always part of the answer, but the government needs to make sure that schools are supported to be able to do that'.
NSW Deputy Premier Prue Car (centre) on Friday announced a housing package to help women fleeing domestic violence with the details to be delivered next week
Leader of the government in the Legislative Council Penny Sharpe said the announcement was decades overdue.
'Today, what this government has done [has] started a process that has taken too long but that is about urgent action.
'It is about things that are going to change the dial ... to prevent the behaviour in the first place.'
On a national level a similar meeting was taking place in Canberra on Friday.
Chaired by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, the meeting of various police ministers 'noted' national cabinet's direction they work alongside the country's attorneys-general to devise options for improving police responses to high risk perpetrators of gender-based violence.
The police ministers council 'agreed to task officials to consider expert stakeholder views, including those with lived experience of violence, in developing the joint program to progress this work'.
Mr Dreyfus also referenced comments Anthony Albanese had made ahead of the meeting about bail, and other measures that prioritise safety.
Ahead of the meeting, the Prime Minister had indicated the ministers would discuss bail laws and greater data sharing between states about high risk or serial perpetrators.
The technicalities of those issues overwhelmingly fall under the purview of police ministers.
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