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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-05-19 Daily Xml
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NATIONAL PLAN TO REDUCE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:12): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women a question regarding the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children community action grants.

Leave granted.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: Members are no doubt aware of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. On 15 February this year, the Minister for the Status of Women, the Hon. Kate Ellis MP, and the Attorney-General, the Hon. Robert McClelland MP, announced that the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 had been endorsed by the Council for Australian Governments. The plan is a 12-year strategy endorsed by the commonwealth and all states and territories. Can the minister inform the chamber of grants related to the national plan?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (15:13): I thank the honourable member for her most important question. As part of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, which South Australia has endorsed, minister Kate Ellis has announced $3.75 million in grants for Australian community groups and sports clubs to take action to reduce violence against women and to promote respectful relationships, with $3 million of funding having been provided specifically for community groups.

I certainly encourage South Australian community groups to apply for funding of up to $250,000 over three years, from July 2011 to June 2014, to fund these projects. In addition, funding of up to $750,000 has been committed for sporting clubs, and invited applicants can apply for up to $250,000 over three years, from July 2011 to June 2014, to fund these types of projects. I understand that these grants are being offered to national sporting organisations and national sporting organisations for people with disability and recognised by the Australian Sports Commission.

These grants are intended to fund innovative primary prevention projects aimed at local communities to prevent violence against women and to encourage and promote respectful relationships. The other Community Action Grants are open to community groups, not-for-profit organisations and local government organisations with innovative primary prevention projects aimed at engaging their community to prevent violence against women and to encourage and promote respectful relationships.

These grants are intended to increase community awareness of the issue and also to change attitudes and behaviours so that violence against women is not tolerated. We know that here in Australia research shows us that there is still a great deal of work to be done on changing people's attitudes and, in some sections of our society, there are still levels of acceptance that are way above what this community should expect.

Applications for specific locations or community groups will be considered, but I understand the priority will be given to projects which support older women, women with disabilities, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and gay and lesbian communities. These grants complement the Don't Cross the Line Community Education Grants, which have provided $200,000 to South Australian organisations to promote respectful relationships since 2009. Successful organisations have included YWCA of Adelaide for the Changing the Face of Consent project; Port Augusta Youth Centre for It's Never Ok, It Never Will Be project; Carclew Youth Arts for the APY Mentoring and Leadership Program; and Legal Services Commission SA for the Expect Respect! project.

The Hon. S.G. Wade: A very good project.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Yes, it is a very good project. I absolutely concur with the Hon. Stephen Wade. We both went to a performance of Expect Respect! conducted by the Legal Services Commission, and it was a really amazing program for young people. It was wonderful to see how they did engage with young people in these typical scenarios to help them cultivate their skills, understand the issues and also understand the legal requirements. Since then, we have extended grants to the Legal Services Commission so that they can continue that project further.

I announced the most recent recipients of these grants focused on young people with disabilities in this place this year. The national plan and associated grants are, I believe, a wonderful initiative by the commonwealth government, and it is heartening to see the issue of violence against women on the national agenda with real funding initiatives being introduced. I have spoken before in this place about the importance of the national plan and my belief in the decision of the Gillard government to work in partnership with all the states and territories on the plan, because these are goals and programs that I believe we should—and I hope we do—all support.

I would like to end with a quote which illustrates the goal of this government's Don't Cross the Line program which the Gillard government shares. It is also published with the grant statement. It states:

The Australian Government is committed to supporting community action that seeks to prevent the problem of violence before it occurs. These grants are intended to increase community awareness of the issue and change attitudes and behaviours so that violence against women is not tolerated.

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