Frontline Workers in Victoria 

The Albanese Government’s election promise of 500 community service workers across the nation will likely fall well-short of demand because of a workforce shortage and slow response to desperate demand.

Victorian family violence victim-survivors are crying out for urgent help following reports of the loss of more than 50 domestic violence sector workers in the past 18 months.

“This shortfall, and the delay in getting the promised workers on the ground at a time when the rate of family violence across Australia continues to rise is unacceptable,” Senator Liddle said.

A Victorian victim-survivor contacted me this week to detail the harrowing lack of services and inability to access help, leaving her and others feeling the system failed to fulfil its promise of safety.

“As a survivor, my journey through the family violence system revealed a disheartening truth – a system that claims to protect our rights left us abandoned and alone,” the victim-survivor wrote.

“It is time to dismantle the broken system, rebuild it with empathy, understanding and a commitment to accountability. Accountability must extend beyond mere promises and superficial reforms,” she said.

As I have long prosecuted, I agree that all funding and services must be held to account to deliver outcomes and help end violence against women and children.

Earlier this month I wrote to state Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Vicki Ward for an update on the employment of 101 Commonwealth-funded frontline and service workers for Victoria.

I have yet to receive a reply.

I also wrote to every relevant state and territory minister to understand just how many workers were on the ground funded by the Commonwealth, given some states signed off in May but still hadn’t engaged anyone by the end of June. The Government apparently can’t provide a progress report until February 2024.

“That is simply not good enough. The Albanese Government is half-way through its term. This is an appalling lack of progress for a desperate sector and for vulnerable people experiencing family, domestic and sexual violence,” Senator Liddle said.

Getting workers was an election promise which saw Federal Minister and Member for Kingston, Amanda Rishworth, announce the program roll-out back in October 2022.

Despite multiple requests in the Australian Senate and in Senate Estimates in recent months, Minister Rishworth has not provided any evidence of frontline workers being employed.

With more than 60 women killed in family violence incidents this year and many more children whose lives have been changed forever, there has been a greater need for immediate action. The need is even more desperate in regional and rural areas.

This week’s news of more than 2800 vulnerable children waiting for a child protection worker, with hundreds of job vacancies, highlights the need for urgent action in Victoria – and it is not the only state that needs to improve outcomes.