Women escaping domestic violence will have improved access to emergency accommodation as the federal government delivers hundreds of new safe places across Australia.
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About one in five Australians have experienced partner violence or abuse since the age of 15, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
In an attempt to improve women's safety, the government will fund new projects that will help provide 720 new safe places over the next three years, almost doubling the number of emergency accommodation places already offered under their program.
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said secure emergency accommodation was vital for women and children escaping abuse.
"Family and domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness and housing uncertainty for women and children across Australia and we know there is an increased demand for emergency accommodation," she said.
The new projects will focus on improving access and inclusion for First Nations women and children, those with a disability and others facing barriers to support.
This funding is part of the government's national plan aimed at ending violence against women and children over the next decade.
The Commonwealth has also offered $5000 in financial support for women escaping violent relationships as part of an almost $1 billion package in its 2024 federal budget.
However, it has come under fire over a lack of funding for frontline services, as the nation reels from a spate of high-profile domestic violence deaths.
A 28-year-old man is expected to be charged after he allegedly frustrated attempts to rescue his children from a burning Western Sydney home on Sunday night, resulting in the deaths of a six-year-old, a three-year-old and a 10-month-old.
And in April, 29-year-old Daniel Billings allegedly murdered his ex-girlfriend Molly Ticehurst while out on bail for intimidation and animal cruelty charges.
Between 2022 and 2023, the Australian Institute of Criminology recorded a 28 per cent rise in the number of women killed by an intimate partner compared to the year before.
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