NSW government unveils $230m emergency package for victim-survivors
Daisy Dumas
The NSW government has today committed to an emergency $230m package to support the victim-survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence.
The new funding will cover four years of new programs and extensions of existing programs, and is informed by the lived experience of victim-survivors and leaders from the domestic family and sexual violence sector who met with the state cabinet last week.
The premier, Chris Minns, said in a statement:
Too many lives have been lost and too many families have been broken because of domestic and family violence. It is a blight in our communities, and it is a problem that deserves our government’s concerted attention and response.
We are listening to leaders, organisations, victim-survivors, and communities from across NSW to drive solutions. Domestic, family, and sexual violence is preventable; we cannot accept the status quo.
This funding announcement is an important step to doing better, to recognising that domestic violence supports need to be applied not just from a crisis response perspective, but with an eye to disrupting the cycle of domestic and family violence early and permanently.
Key events
New direct flight between Australia and Palau
A new direct flight between Australia and Palau has been announced today, with the first flight to depart this month.
The non-stop flights will go between Brisbane and Koror, Palau and “help create new opportunities for regional tourism and trade”, a statement from foreign minister Penny Wong and Palau president Surangel Whipps said.
Palau is a tiny country of over 500 islands in the Pacific, with a population of around 20,000 people.
Nauru Airlines will operate the flight until 31 October this year, with eligible Australian, Pacific and Asian airlines invited to participate in a tender to operate the route through to October 2025.
The route compliments the “Island Hopper” flight between Brisbane, Nauru, Tarawa, Majuro, Pohnpei and Koror.
Wong said in a statement:
Australia has heard the calls from Pacific leaders for deeper connections and easier movement around the region, and is working to improve access, mobility, and migration opportunities.
Calls for ‘substantial increase’ to jobseeker and youth allowance
Paul Karp
A group of women and non-binary people from civil society have written to the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, seeking a “substantial increase” in jobseeker and youth allowance.
It notes that this was the priority recommendation of the government’s own Economic Inclusions Advisory Committee, quoting chair Jenny Macklin who said: “women escaping violence also need to know that there will be a decent social security net for them.”
The letter said:
The current social security safety net cannot be described as “decent” nor safe. The JobSeeker Payment is just $55 a day. Youth Allowance is even less at $45 a day. Around 500,000 women receive these payments. While the government’s restoration of Parenting Payment Single to 82,000 single parents whose youngest child is aged between 8 and 14 was most welcome, there remain large numbers of women of all ages in receipt of JobSeeker and other working-age payments that are simply not enough to cover basic costs.
Fixing the adequacy of Jobseeker and Youth Allowance to deliver basic economic security for women cannot wait.
The letter is signed by Macklin, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander commissioner June Oscar, sex discrimination commissioner Anna Cody, single mothers advocate Terese Edwards, former NSW women’s minister Verity Firth, unionists Emeline Gaske and Correna Haythorpe and former independent MP Cathy McGowan.
Unlike last year’s letter coordinated by the Australian Council of Social Services, this does not appear to include current Labor MPs.
David McBride sentencing hearing to take place today
The sentencing hearing for military whistleblower David McBride will take place today.
McBride pleaded guilty to stealing commonwealth information and passing that on to journalists at the ABC, who used the material as the basis for an investigative series exposing war crimes in Afghanistan, titled The Afghan Files.
You can read the background below:
A rally is due to take place this morning, with a number of McBride’s supporters speaking. Saffrine Duggan, the wife of Dan Duggan, said in a statement:
In Australia we pride ourselves on transparent government and the right to a fair hearing in court.
Situations like David’s and Dan’s, where Australian’s are being used as political scapegoats cannot stand. It’s time for the prime minister and politicians in Canberra to prove the value of Australian citizenship and our nation’s sovereignty.
I am horrified at this prosecution of both David and of my husband Dan, and the damage it is doing to them and to their loved ones. We won’t give up, let’s stand together for justice.
Police search for man overboard cruise ship off Sydney
NSW police are leading a search in waters off Sydney after reports a person went overboard off a cruise ship early this morning.
Police said emergency services received reports a person had gone overboard off a ship 10 nautical miles (around 19km) off Sydney Heads just after 4am.
NSW police marine area command have deployed a number of resources to search for the person and are leading the coordination of the water search.
The P&O Pacific Adventure was due to dock in Sydney Harbour at 6am this morning.
P&O said in a statement that the ship – carrying 2,600 guests – was taking part in the search and rescue operation along with other nearby vessels, deployed to the area by AMSA’s joint rescue coordination centre.
The family of this guest is being cared for by our onboard team while every effort is being made to find them. Pacific Adventure’s arrival into White Bay Terminal this morning has been delayed while the search continues.
The flight radar shows a rescue helicopter sweeping a section of the ocean. The Marine Traffic map shows the cruise ship is continuing search efforts.
Daisy Dumas
More on the NSW government’s $230m domestic and family violence package
In a first for the state, $38m will go towards funding a dedicated primary prevention strategy. $48m will fund the Staying Home Leaving Violence program, helping women and their children to remain safe in their homes after leaving a violent relationship.
Offender transformation programs will receive $2.1m and $48m will go towards early intervention, including funding for workers who support children affected by family violence.
Bail laws – blamed in part for the death of Forbes woman Milly Ticehurst – are part of its focus, with $45m earmarked to improve bail laws and justice system responses.
The state’s attorney general, Michael Daley, said the funds would “[ensure] we are reviewing domestic violence supports and systems from every angle”.
NSW needs a coordinated approach across multiple fronts to disrupt domestic violence – that is what this suite of funding initiatives is designed to achieve.
NSW minister for the prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault, Jodie Harrison, said:
There is no shying away from the horrendous statistics, and the tragic stories behind each one of those statistics.
NSW government unveils $230m emergency package for victim-survivors
Daisy Dumas
The NSW government has today committed to an emergency $230m package to support the victim-survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence.
The new funding will cover four years of new programs and extensions of existing programs, and is informed by the lived experience of victim-survivors and leaders from the domestic family and sexual violence sector who met with the state cabinet last week.
The premier, Chris Minns, said in a statement:
Too many lives have been lost and too many families have been broken because of domestic and family violence. It is a blight in our communities, and it is a problem that deserves our government’s concerted attention and response.
We are listening to leaders, organisations, victim-survivors, and communities from across NSW to drive solutions. Domestic, family, and sexual violence is preventable; we cannot accept the status quo.
This funding announcement is an important step to doing better, to recognising that domestic violence supports need to be applied not just from a crisis response perspective, but with an eye to disrupting the cycle of domestic and family violence early and permanently.
Welcome
Emily Wind
And happy Monday – great to be with you for a new week on the Australian news live blog. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll take you through our rolling coverage today.
Making news overnight: The NSW government has announced the details of its emergency $230m package to support the victim-survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence. The new funding will cover four years of new programs and extensions of existing programs and follows a dedicated cabinet meeting last week. More on this soon from Daisy Dumas.
NSW police are leading a search in waters off Sydney after reports a person went overboard off a cruise ship around 4am today.
The sentencing hearing for military whistleblower David McBride will take place today. McBride pleaded guilty to stealing commonwealth information and passing that on to journalists at the ABC, who used the material as the basis for an investigative series exposing war crimes in Afghanistan, titled The Afghan Files.
A group of women and non-binary people from civil society have written to the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, seeking a “substantial increase” in jobseeker and youth allowance. The letter states jobseeker and other working-age payments “are simply not [earning] enough to cover basic costs”. Paul Karp will bring us more on this shortly.
And Mexican authorities have said the bodies believed to be two missing Australian brothers show they may have been killed with gunshots. You can read the entire story below: