The findings from the Northern Territory Coroner's inquest into the devastating prevalence of domestic violence in the NT highlight an urgent need for systemic reform and increased investment in early intervention and prevention efforts, says the national peak body for the Family Violence Prevention and Legal Services sector.
First Nations Advocates Against Family Violence chief executive Kerry Staines said the inquest "underscores the significant gaps in support services and highlights the critical role that culturally safe, community-driven responses must play in addressing the crisis for our families".
"First Nations women in the NT face some of the highest rates of domestic violence in the country, with devastating consequences for families and communities. We call on the government to prioritise funding for early intervention and prevention programs delivered through our Family Violence Prevention Legal Services in the Northern Territory. Our programs are proven to be effective in breaking the cycles of violence, providing culturally safe and holistic support tailored to the unique needs of Aboriginal communities," Ms Staines said.
"FNAAFV urges the government to immediately allocate dedicated funding for early intervention and prevention programs in the NT, with a focus on working with FVPLSs. These services save lives, strengthen communities, and break cycles of violence.
"They are uniquely placed to provide culturally safe support and solutions, leveraging their deep understanding of the communities they serve. By adequately funding these services and partnering with them in designing interventions, we can create meaningful and sustainable change."
The Advocates noted that domestic violence prevention cannot succeed without adequate resourcing, and stressed the importance of: early Intervention - funding programs that identify and support at-risk families before violence escalates; strengthening community education and support services to address the root causes of violence; and holistic and culturally safe services: ensuring FVPLSs in the NT are empowered with the resources to meet the growing demand for legal and non-legal services.
"The NT Coroner's findings are a wake-up call for all levels of government. This is not just a Northern Territory issue—it is a national crisis. First Nations women and children across Australia are overrepresented in family violence statistics, and their safety must be a national priority," Ms Staines said.
Minister for Indigenous Australians, and Senator for the NT, Malarndirri McCarthy, told Mix 104.9 Darwin on Tuesday that the federal government is "absolutely committed to wanting to see the reduction in violence".
"We've not only looked at trying to support our organisations, we've looked at legislation to ensure that women experiencing domestic and family violence can take leave, we want to make sure there's other issues that support, in particular in our communities, the disadvantage that women in particular experience, so we want to see the build-up of housing and jobs. So, we know that there has to be so many more aspects to this, not just around funding the crisis centres," she said.
The Minister also stressed the importance of programs to address men's behaviour and reduce offending and re-offending.
The federal government has committed $2.6 million for Danila Dilba Health Service is going to receive the funding over two years to trial a new approach to support First Nations women, children and families at risk of or impacted by family and domestic violence and reduce the number of children entering the child protection system in the greater Darwin region.
