HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Subject Index
Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-09-04 Daily Xml
Contents
Xml

Victim Support Service

The Hon. C. BONAROS (15:01): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Attorney a question in relation to the Victim Support Service.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: This morning it was revealed on radio station FIVEaa that the Victim Support Service, formerly known as the Victims of Crime Service, is closing its doors after more than four decades of service to South Australians. Originating in 1979, with the advocacy of grieving parents and with the leadership of former Queensland Police Commissioner Ray Whitrod, the service became the first of its kind in Australia, offering counselling, advocacy and support to thousands of victims of serious crime.

Over the years, it has provided expert assistance to families navigating the criminal justice system, helped victims with impact statements and contributed to law reform and inquiries. The announcement of its closure represents the loss of a unique, independent institution that has walked alongside South Australians in their darkest moments. My questions to the Attorney are:

1. Is this also the Attorney's understanding? If so, what urgent action will the government take to ensure that families of victims and others facing the most traumatic crime do not lose access to that specialist service previously provided by the Victim Support Service?

2. Does the government acknowledge that the roles of the victims' rights commissioner and victim of crime commissioner are not a replacement for the frontline trauma counselling and advocacy that the service uniquely delivered?

3. Is the government committed to working with victims, advocates and stakeholders to secure a sustainable future for specialist trauma support services rather than allowing this decades-long institution to collapse?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (15:03): I thank the honourable member for her question and her advocacy in this area over a significant period of time. As the honourable member has pointed out in the question, the forerunner of the Victim Support Service was established almost half a century ago in South Australia as one of the first—not just in Australia, but one of the very first anywhere in the world—dedicated organisations of the sort. We have seen many very notable individuals who have done a lot of work with the Victim Support Service's forerunner over many, many years.

The former Liberal government cut about $1 million of funding to the Victim Support Service. It was a commitment from the then Labor opposition to reinstate that funding for the Victim Support Service, and in mid-2022 this government executed an agreement—it was just over $1.2 million—with the Victim Support Service, particularly for their Court Companion and Safer Spaces programs, which the Victim Support Service delivered.

I am aware and have been advised that my department has been in discussions for some time with the Victim Support Service, who have informed the Attorney-General's Department that they are undergoing a period of organisational change and are struggling to continue in their ability to deliver those programs. As the honourable member has outlined, I understand that VSS have also communicated that to many of their members and supporters in recent weeks and days.

I am advised that, following consultation with the Victim Support Service, the Attorney-General is working to transition the Court Companion service and Safer Spaces program to other providers, with a view to making sure there is no break in the access to these support programs that are supplied.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ben Hood.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT