An additional $21 million in domestic and family violence funding will not address support for temporary visa holders in New South Wales, despite calls from the sector following the alleged murder of an international student last week.
The extra funding - which will comprise $12.8 million from the state’s pockets and $8.8 million from the federal government - was announced by the NSW government on Tuesday in response to an increase in people seeking support services during the COVID-19 crisis.
Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Mark Speakman said the investment would go towards a number of frontline specialist services, women’s refuges, and a new temporary six-month safe house in Manly.
It will also go towards “targeted responses to especially vulnerable groups”, including Indigenous communities, people with a disability, LGBTIQ+ communities, women in rural and remote areas, and multicultural communities, but it is unclear what these supports will entail.
Domestic Violence NSW (DV NSW), the state’s peak body for domestic and family violence services, said it welcomed the funding but added it was “frustrating” that calls for support for temporary visa holders have gone unanswered.
“Across the state, we’ve been seeing an increase in the complexity of calls of women who are contacting us for help and we are also seeing an increase in numbers in many of the services across NSW, so the funding is certainly needed and very much appreciated,” spokesperson Renata Field told SBS News.
“[But] we remain concerned about women on temporary visas because there is no specific funding allocation in this announcement.”
Last week, an international student was allegedly murdered by her husband at her home in Sydney’s north-west weeks after she sought an apprehended violence order against him.
The husband was charged with murder on Thursday and appeared before Parramatta Local Court on Friday. The matter remains before the courts.
Chief executive of Women's Safety NSW Hayley Foster told SBS News at the time that women on temporary visas have “little if any” access to temporary emergency accommodation and often have “nowhere else to go” when suffering violence.
Following the announcement on Tuesday Ms Foster also called for targeted support for women on temporary visas suffering domestic violence.
Temporary NSW residents may be considered for “a few days” of temporary accommodation when escaping domestic violence in “exceptional circumstances”, according to the NSW Communities and Justice department.
Australian women who are fleeing domestic and family violence are able to access 28 days of crisis accommodation in NSW and Ms Field said DV NSW would like to see this extended to all survivors.
Mr Speakman met with domestic and family violence sector workers across the state on Tuesday, Ms Field said, and was asked directly about support for survivors on temporary visas.
A Communities and Justice spokesperson told SBS News the NSW government had raised the need for further support for domestic and family violence victims on temporary protection visas on "multiple occasions", including recently at the Women's Safety Council COAG meeting this week.
"Senior officials are working closely on solutions to address this issue," they said, adding that they were committed to "supporting all women experiencing domestic and family violence" through community speciality services available to temporary migrants.
Previously released data on reports to police during the first few weeks of the pandemic didn't show an increase in domestic violence incidents as feared, but Mr Speakman said an increase had been observed elsewhere.
"Our own department website has numerous pages to assist domestic and family violence victims, and we've seen in the last couple of months a 37 per cent increase in the number of hits that those pages are receiving," he said.
"Just because something isn't reported doesn't mean it isn't happening".
If you or someone you know is impacted by family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit . In an emergency, call 000.
