Aboriginal family violence prevention service Djirra have criticised the Victorian government for their "failure" to invest in Indigenous women and children's safety and focus on "punitive" responses to crime in the state budget released last week.
The budget, which comes as Victoria faces a net debt of $187.8 billion by June 2028, saw investment in Aboriginal heritage laws and Indigenous-led decision making in education, but less in the fields of Indigenous-led health and legal organisations.
Chief executive Antoinette Braybrook said the demand for Djirra's services continued to rise.
"We experienced a 33 per cent increase in demand for our specialist frontline services in 2023, and in just this last quarter, another 22 per cent increase in our intake," Ms Braybrook said.
"However, there is no funding to reflect this."
Djirra said their budget has remained stagnant since it was first provided in the wake of the Royal Commission into Family Violence in 2016.
The organisation said the number of Indigenous women who interacted with the organisation in the western suburbs for legal help increased by 114 per cent since they opened an office in Melton, and argued this would continue to increase with the establishment of the new specialist family violence court at Wyndham in Melbourne's south-west.
They noted the budget did provide funding for existing programs and early intervention initiatives identified in the Royal Commission, including Djirra's Koori Women's Place, Sisters Day Out and Dilly Bag.
However, funding for other programs, including Djirra's Prison Support Program - helping women in and exiting prison - was unconfirmed and would expire at the end of June.
"The Victorian government tells Djirra to expect continued funding for these programs through a proposed women's safety package which will be announced at an unspecified time in the future – but it is not good enough that this funding has not been guaranteed in the actual budget," Ms Braybrook said.
"As we wait for ongoing funding, the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal women is compromised. As we wait for ongoing funding, we will lose staff and client trust will erode."
Djirra were also critical of the "helping families" budget failing to "support the growing number of Aboriginal women losing their children because of family violence," and along with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS), were critical of investment in "measures that criminalise Aboriginal children".
These include funding for ankle monitoring bracelets — which VALS said was "ten-fold" the funding their specialist Indigenous youth service received.
"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." Ms Braybrook said.
Djirra argued the budget was punitive, offering 'tough on crime' funding rather than investment in "saving lives and keeping women and children safe".
They said they would continue to "advocate on behalf of the thousands of amazing Aboriginal women and children whose lives we touch every day," arguing Indigenous lives "must be valued" and self-determination invested in.
