Ms LIZA BUTLER (South Coast) (12:06): My question is addressed to the Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, and Minister for Women. Will the Minister update the House on how the Minns Labor Government is taking action to address the scourge of domestic violence?
Ms JODIE HARRISON (Charlestown—Minister for Women, Minister for Seniors, and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault) (12:06): I certainly thank the member for South Coast for raising this important question, particularly given the fact that we are almost on the eve of the 16 days of activism. At the outset, I take the opportunity to say that this Government has taken, and continues to take, a zero-tolerance approach to domestic, family and sexual violence. We are working across agencies and with experts and communities to prevent family violence before it begins.
Consistent with our zero-tolerance stand, I am very proud that this Government is holding perpetrators to account. As part of this, we are introducing legislation to amend the high-risk offenders Act to ensure that strangulation is considered a serious violent offence.
I thank the Attorney General for the approach that he has taken on this legislation and for the fact that he has taken this issue so seriously. The legislation will put serious non-fatal strangulation in the same category as murder, manslaughter and intentionally inflicting grievous bodily harm. As a result, perpetrators serving a period of imprisonment for serious non-fatal strangulation will be able to continue to be detained or monitored, even after their sentence has been served. This piece of legislation will send a strong signal that our community will not tolerate any form of domestic violence and that this Government is serious about cracking down on the types of violence that can escalate to loss of life.
We know that prior attempted, non-lethal strangulation is one of the best predictors of subsequent homicide. In fact, it increases the risk of attempted homicide by 700 per cent.
We have seen too many lives lost to domestic violence and we need to respond. This is one of the important ways that the Minns Labor Government is tackling domestic and family violence. I update the House further on other aspects of our approach. That includes the fact that the first budget handed down by the Government included $456 million to prevent, intervene in and respond to domestic and family violence. That $456 million is a significant increase on the $262.7 million allocated by the previous Government in the last financial year. [Extension of time]
We are working with specialist domestic and family violence services and community housing services to provide core and cluster refuges for victim-survivors across New South Wales. The first two tranches of the program are underway and 39 projects have been awarded funding under them. A majority of those—26, in fact—will be in regional and rural New South Wales, including in Albury, the Upper Hunter and Tamworth. Once all three of those tranches have been fully delivered by the end of 2026, there will be emergency housing for an additional 2,900 women and children fleeing domestic and family violence every year.
Finally, I touch on a further recent announcement of the New South Wales Government, which is leading the nation in the historic appointment of the first standalone NSW Women's Safety Commissioner. The commissioner, Dr Hannah Tonkin, plays a critical role in spearheading our whole‑of‑government approach to domestic, family and sexual violence. The role signals just how serious this Government is in bolstering its approach to primary prevention and early intervention. We know that it is incredibly important to be tough on perpetrators.
That is why we are introducing the legislation this week. But we also need them to change their behaviour and for communities to work with us so that the cycle of violence can finally end. I again thank the member for South Coast for her question. I ask that each and every one of us think about how we can raise the issue of domestic and family violence during the 16 Days of Activism.
