More case workers, funding for specialist family violence support services, and private rentals for re-housing are some of the initiatives the Labor party will implement to aid in the prevention of family violence if elected into majority on May 1.
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The $28 million planned package included $3.4 million to employ 10 case workers to provide intensive support across 23 emergency shelters, $6 million to provide 150 private rentals for rapid re-housing, $6 million of grant funding for specialist family violence services and $2.8 million for Women's Legal Services Tasmania.
Labor family violence spokeswoman Michelle O'Byrne said more needed to be done to address the issues facing Tasmanian women and families.
"We will increase funding to the Family Violence Counselling Support service to meet demand, including retaining the additional staff employed during COVID and increasing staffing with an additional 7 staff across the state in both adult and children services," she said.
The package also included the introduction of regulations to the Residential Tenancy Act, which Ms O'Byrne said currently does not allow women to stay in shelter accommodation after three months without a residential agreement.
"What this means is currently women are forced out of accommodation before they are ready to leave and this is simply unacceptable," she said.
IN OTHER NEWS:
"Labor will introduce regulations to the Act so a residential tenancy agreement is not required for up to 12 months where residence is being used to provide accommodation for a person escaping family violence.
"Labor will establish a Treasury-led taskforce to examine the gender barriers in the economy that continue to disadvantage women and invest $4 million into a significant program with on the ground services to deliver targeted primary prevention and intervention prevention programs."
A Liberal Party spokesperson said the current government had been the first in Tasmania to put in place a whole of government family violence strategy.
"We've now invested more than $56 million across two family and sexual violence action plans," they said.
"We're the first Government in Australia to put in place a COVID family violence package.
"We recently wrote to specialist family violence organisations extending that increased funding level to June 2022.
"We will have more to say during the election campaign."
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