Ms O’CONNOR – Thank you, chair. Minister, I want to go to the level of funding that’s provided to those really important organisations, I’m sure you’ll agree, that support victim survivors, Laurel House and the Sexual Assault Support Service. A request was made in their budget submission to increase therapeutic support to victim survivors and their supporters – community engagement and primary prevention activities. The request was made for $2.4 million in additional core funding but there’s a shortfall in the funding allocated of about $860,000. You would be aware, minister, each of those organisations has waitlists where people are waiting to receive counselling or a therapeutic service for up to six months. Why didn’t your government properly fund SASS and Laurel House?
Ms OGILVIE – I have met with SASS and Laurel House recently and have encouraged them to write to us which they have done. I’m working very closely with them. In my meeting with them it wasn’t completely clear to them or myself exactly what the delta was that they were concerned about, so I have actually –
Ms O’CONNOR – Delta?
Ms OGILVIE – Yes. The gap. I have actually referred that to the department, and I would like to invite you if you could, to speak to that. We have done some work on this.
Ms GRAY – Thanks minister and through you. Yes, we are aware of that issue and I can advise the committee that the core funding through Survivors at the Centre for the family and sexual violence services is maintained and any uplift that has been provided as a result of the absolutely amazing work that the community services sector in the family and sexual violence work does, I take the opportunity to thank them for the way that they have partnered with the department in relation to the response to the commission of inquiry.
We deeply value the expertise of this specialist service sector and the network of supports that fund, as the member has outlined, support for victim-survivors. Since 2021, of course, we’ve provided significant additional funding to the specialist sexual violence services to respond to increased demand, and it represents, actually an over 200 per cent increase in funding for these organisations since 2019, which, yes, is commensurate also with the demand that organisations are seeing. This year’s budget continues this funding with no funding decreases at all as part of the $423 million investment to deliver the recommendations of the commission of inquiry over the forward Estimates.
We will continue to work closely with the family and sexual violence service sector as we always do to really monitor demand and need, and this includes informing our negotiation with the Australian government on our new national partnership agreement for family and domestic and sexual violence, which has commenced, and also through the codesign that we are undertaking with them at the moment around the revisions on the Change for Children strategy and action plan over the next part of this year. Through the delivery of some related recommendations, including the recommendations relating to workforce, service gap analysis and future funding needs, which are due in 2026. We are going to keep closely monitoring the needs of the family and sexual violence service sector.
Ms O’CONNOR – Thank you, Ms Gray. The level of need, I think, is reasonably well understood by government. It is certainly well understood by this sector, that, I know you agree, minister, does such important and outstanding work. I was pleased to hear Ms Gray talk about monitoring demand and need. Has there been any assessment undertaken by government, or do you have some advice or analysis of what not providing that extra funding will mean in terms of the impact on services and staffing levels?
Ms OGILVIE – Can I just seek some advice? The advice I have received is that they do work very closely with SASS and Laurel House, and that they are in continuous dialogue and are appraised of the impacts that the funding commitment would have or does have. But I would also like to just to agree with you that the demand is there, and it has, in a sense, become a national discussion in a timely way.
When we get to the national cabinet conversation, which I am sure that we will have, there is an opportunity, I think, to do more and do better, and I think we are getting nods here at the table. I would like to think that we could lean into those conversations with SASS and Laurel House, and we have a new budget coming forward.
Ms O’CONNOR – Minister, doesn’t it sort of – I mean, we have been having this conversation as a society for a very long time. We had Rosie Batty, Australian of the year.
Ms OGILVIE – I agree, yes.
Ms O’CONNOR – There are many women I think thought that would be catalytic to a change of approach by government, and yet we are still dealing with chronically underfunded sexual assault support services, services that respond to the needs of women and children. You would agree, wouldn’t you, that it is not tenable to continue to underfund these services?
Ms OGILVIE – I agree that this is the number one issue that is besetting our state and our community. I care deeply about this area. The question of funding goes to the budget. Those conversations are always difficult. Laurel House and SASS in particular I think do a superb job, and others. We are working with what we have got to do the best we can.
Ms O’CONNOR – Well, you could have funded them twice over if you hadn’t put $4 million into a chocolate fountain. Can I just ask a final question on this line of questioning for now, Chair? What is the composition or the breakdown of funds for the financial year 2025 for the Family and Sexual Violence Action Plan, and I am happy for this to be taken on notice, Chair. What is each service funded, and how much of this allocation is going towards policy development in the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
Ms OGILVIE – I will just see if I can get that information for you. The information that I have to hand, whilst they seek further details, is that Tasmania’s third Family and Sexual Violence Action Plan received a funding allocated under Output 7.5 for survivors at the centre is maintained at $12.5 million per annum across current and forward Estimates. The budget revenue line for survivors at the centre shows, in error, the application of a budget efficiency which was initially applied in error to that output.
CHAIR – So these figures are not correct?
Ms O’CONNOR – I think we are getting a set of figures shortly from the department.
Ms GRAY – To respond to the member’s question through you, minister, we have a breakdown of the funding allocation over the life of the plan, split by funding on government actions as opposed to community sector actions. Not broken down into 2024-25 specifically, so I would have to take that one on notice.
Ms O’CONNOR – Is that over five years or something, that –
Ms GRAY – Through you, minister, the timeframe is from 2022 to 2027.
Ms O’CONNOR – Okay, thank you. Do you think that would be helpful in understanding the question, through you, minister, Ms Gray?
Ms GRAY – I think the question, through you, minister, was about breakdown on policy versus funding direct to the community. The FTE for the portfolio is modest. I can get that from the overview. It is extremely modest compared to other jurisdictions, which is not unusual as a small jurisdiction. 2.7 FTE. The funding to policy and policy development is quite small.
Ms O’CONNOR – Yes.
Ms GRAY – The bulk of the funding goes either to government agencies to administer actions in the plan or direct to the community sector.
Ms O’CONNOR – I will put that on notice, just for that extra detail, if that is okay, minister?
Ms OGILVIE – No, that’s fine. Perhaps a little bit more information –
Ms GRAY – Sorry, if I may just add also, Ms O’Connor, through the minister, we have resources within DPAC’s Strategic Policy Unit that support national cabinet and you would be well aware that family violence and the prevention of family violence has been elevated as a priority of national cabinet, and was in fact the last subject of entire national cabinet meeting which I attended with the Premier, and which the minister was also supported in terms of advice on Tasmania’s position to support. It was around $4.7 billion that was announced following that national cabinet meeting directly on this subject.
Ms O’CONNOR – Thank you.
Ms GRAY – And of course, in looking at the distribution of that, and Tasmania’s, you know, contribution, also through our Sexual Violence Plan, we will be continuing to work with the sector on what that involvement will be over the years to come.
Mr O’CONNOR – Thank you, Chair. Minister, what is the breakdown of funds in partnering with the community, which is funding, more broadly for the community sector in this space. It says ‘Financial year 2025, $1 million; financial year 2026, $1 million’, which the budget papers say is to address commission of inquiry recommendations 21.3, 21.4, and 21.7. This relates to a question that was earlier asked by Ms Webb.
Ms OGILVIE – I am seeking some information for you.
Ms GRAY – Through you, minister, the partnering with the community sector, funding for community sector, and the reducing harmful sexual behaviours line items that the member has highlighted are 100 per cent allocated to the community sector.
Mr O’CONNOR – Okay. Is it reasonable to say this is still a very modest allocation to the community sector in light of those recommendations of the commission of inquiry?
Ms OGILVIE – The advice I’m receiving is that our view is that it is a significant investment. We do have some information around the commission of inquiry investment as well, and of course, as you understand, in this area, which is highly matrixed across a number of fronts, making sure that there is sufficient funding is something which is top of mind. What the department is advising me is that they believe it is a significant investment. Courtney Hurworth may be able to add some assistance if you would like?
Mr O’CONNOR – There will be other members with questions, so I am quite comfortable with that.
Ms OGILVIE – Okay.
Mr O’CONNOR – Has there been any attempt to bring the sector together to identify what you could do to improve the implementation of your Family Violence Action Plan prevention? Like, what sort of conversations do you have as minister?
Ms OGILVIE – What is the engagement strategy?
Mr O’CONNOR – Engagement with that broader sector who have got the on-ground experience?
Ms OGILVIE – Yes, certainly. As I have said, I have recently met specifically with SASS and Laurel House at a meeting, and of course I have attended and had conversations with the Alliance when they have their event. My door is very much open. I am very mindful that this is a very sensitive and challenging area that is really now at national conversation level. Which is pleasing in the sense that more funds are flowing from the federal government, but also very disturbing in the sense that the challenges are sometimes seemingly intractable and it’s hard. It’s hard yards.
Mr O’CONNOR – Sure, but in terms of a structure that you could establish to bring the sector together.
Ms OGILVIE – We really rely on the Alliance. That is the – that’s behind the –
Mr O’CONNOR – Is that enough?
Ms OGILVIE – Well, I think that the peak organisation work is really framing up a place where conversations can be had. I do like to have a peak organisation. It does make it easy to have that single point of contact with a range of views, but it is, personally, also really important to be able to be taking inputs from others. Without disclosing anything personal or confidential, I do have constituents, of course, who write to me with their stories.
Mr O’CONNOR – Of course. We all do.
Ms OGILVIE – All of that happens, and every day as I walk into the office there is another challenging story, particularly holding prisons and also this area. It’s hard yards, and it is the most serious of areas. I am personally committed to doing all that I can to push forward solutions to this, particularly around the prevention issue. I think –
Mr O’CONNOR – It is hard to be really effective with prevention if you are underfunding at the beginning.
Ms OGILVIE – Well, the funding issue is one piece of the puzzle. Obviously very important, but it is also really important that we raise awareness. That is the benefit of having a minister in this area to be able to – and I do work closely with the Premier. He attends National Cabinet; this is a national level dialogue. We have nods here. The funding issue and backing in the people who are doing the work on the frontline is an incredibly important piece of the puzzle, but funding obviously is always important.
