Budget 2022: ‘Investing to eliminate violence in our homes and communities’ – Davidson

Budget 2022 is delivering on the Government’s plan to eliminate family violence and sexual violence.

“Our Government is investing in a future where everyone, no matter who they are, where they are from, or who they love, can live a life free of family violence and sexual violence,” said Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence, Marama Davidson.

Budget 2022 will provide $114.5 million operating funding over four years to support the implementation of Te Aorerekura – the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence, which was launched in December 2021.

“This investment of $114.5 million is a major milestone for the implementation of Te Aorerekura, New Zealand’s first ever strategy to end family violence and sexual violence.

“Budget 2022 will help us deliver better primary prevention services, support community-led responses, and improve workforce capability to strengthen community approaches to eliminating family violence and sexual violence.

“Developed in partnership, Te Aorerekura identified six shifts that need to occur in order for tangata whenua, specialist sectors, communities and government to work together towards people being able to enjoy peaceful lives. Budget 2022 will invest in making these shifts happen.

“The Budget includes $37.6 million to strengthen initiatives like the Campaign for Action on Family Violence, E Tū Whānau and Pasefika Proud, while developing three further initiatives for ethnic communities, older people and youth. With our support, these community-led initiatives can continue to make a real difference to peoples’ lives, helping shift social norms and build strong, resilient whānau who are free from violence.

“The Budget will also provide $38.1 million to expand integrated community-led responses (ICR), which recognise that the best solutions to complex social challenges come from within communities with the support of Government agencies. There will also be a further $8.1 million to address cost pressures in the Health system and allow for more victims to have access to timely and specialist assessments referrals to specialist services and supports in relation to non-fatal strangulation.

There will also be $26.7 million across several initiatives to help ensure the people who are working in their communities to prevent family violence and sexual violence have the knowledge, skills, capacity and organisational support they need to keep whānau safe and support people to start healing. An additional $4 million will build on the funding for Māori-Crown partnership arrangements in Budget 2021, by funding a wider cross-section of communities to engage with government in collective monitoring, sharing and learning.

“Over the last four years we have taken action to address chronic underfunding across the system and laid the foundations for change. Today we are building on that work and investing to change the way we do things so we can help create safe homes where all children, families and whānau can thrive,” Marama Davidson said.