The Northern Territory has by far the highest rates of domestic and family violence in Australia – three times the National average.  The rate of domestic homicide is seven times the national average. 

Neither the NT Government nor the Commonwealth Government are doing enough to stop the violence.

The Commonwealth Government says this is the responsibility of the Northern Territory Government. The Northern Territory Government says it is a small jurisdiction that can’t afford to invest more and the Commonwealth Government should contribute. At the National level more funding than ever before is being invested to tackle domestic and family violence and we have a new National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children and a First Nations Action Plan. But this money is not improving the situation in the NT.

Part of the problem is that the Commonwealth Government provides funding to states and territories based on population, rather than need. The NT has a small population (around 250,000) and so the NT’s share of national funding is never sufficient given the extreme level of need in the Territory.

‘Needs-based funding’ rather than ‘population-based funding’ could make a huge difference to NT women’s lives.

The Northern Territory Coroner is currently investigating the deaths of four Aboriginal women from domestic violence at the hands of their partners. The evidence presented to the Coroner has been damning.  The system is buckling under the weight of the need in the NT.  And since the inquests have started two more women have been killed as a result of domestic and family violence.

Domestic and family violence is not inevitable. It is preventable.

The time to send a message to Ministers is NOW while the Coronial Inquest is in progress and both levels of Government are considering their responses to the inquest and starting to develop next year’s budget.

Women, men, people, from all over Australia are urged to write seeking needs-based funding