The peak Indigenous legal body in Victoria is urging the federal government to fund Indigenous legal services in the upcoming budget to combat the national crisis of violence against women.
The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) was critical of a lack of increased funding for their Balit Ngulu and Baggarrook programs in the state budget, the latter an intensive support program for Indigenous women transitioning from custody who are at high risk of homelessness and family violence.
In a statement, VALS said the government needed to use the federal budget on Tuesday to increase investment in specialist responses - including Aboriginal-led solutions - to help alleviate the national crisis of violence against women.
"We have been asking the Federal Government to provide Aboriginal Legal Services with an immediate injection of $50 million through this year's Federal Budget, and a commitment to longer-term funding through NLAP [National Legal Assistance Partnership]," they said.
VALS chief executive, Nerita Waight said the state budget had only provided base funding for both of VALS' specialist programs to help women and children, and there was a concern that the "unique needs of Aboriginal women and children will be overlooked and underfunded".
"These services are an integral part of a holistic response for Aboriginal women and children impacted by family violence," she said.
"Our communities deserve access to high-quality, culturally safe legal support, and services that provide Aboriginal-led solutions."
Ms Waight said legal organisations must continue to meet the needs of the Indigenous communities to ensure they are strong — both for now and in the future.
"This is part of the Federal Government's commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children and the Uluru Statement from the Heart and we implore them to put those commitments into action," she said.
Both VALS and family violence prevention, women, and legal support service, Djirra, were highly critical of the Victorian government's investment in electronic surveillance bracelets for children on bail at the behest of investment in services to help women who have suffered at the hands of domestic violence.
Djirra chief executive Antoinette Braybrook said: "It's unacceptable that the government can invest $34 million in a pilot of ankle bracelet surveillance of those children fortunate enough to get bail, but not find one dollar to increase investment in the frontline services that keep children safe with their mums".
She argued a proposed family violence package from the state government - which has an unspecified time frame - compromised the safety and wellbeing of Indigenous women.
"As we wait for ongoing funding, we will lose staff and client trust will erode," Ms Braybrook said.
Ms Waight said the investment on surveillance was a "ten-fold" increase on that offered to Balit Ngulu - VALS' specialist youth program which offers a "trauma informed, holistic approach" to young people involved in the criminal justice system.
"When budgets are tight, we should be placing resources where they have the biggest impact on the ground rather than on the front page of a newspaper," she said on Tuesday.
Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers has promised a "balanced" and "responsible" budget, telling various media outlets on Sunday it will aim to combat inflation while offering Australian's some cost-of-living relief.
The government confirmed billions will be spent on new homes, with $1 billion to be spent on crisis and transitional accommodation for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence through the National Housing Infrastructure Facility.
