Who:
- Cassandra Goldie, CEO, Australian Council for Social Service (ACOSS)
- Fiona McCormack, CEO, Domestic Violence Victoria (DV Vic)
- Jenny Smith, CEO, Council to Homeless Persons (CHP)
- Jacinta Wainwright, CEO, WRISC Family Violence Support
- Antoinette Braybrook, CEO, Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention & Legal Service (AFVPLS)
- Jocelyn Bignold, CEO, McAuley Community Services for Women
When: 10AM Thursday March 6, 2014
Where: Level 2, Queen Victoria Women’s Centre, 210 Lonsdale St, Melbourne.
In the lead up to International Women’s Day, community organisations will today highlight the current uncertainty facing women’s and family violence services, with the impending expiration of the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH) funding in July 2014.
Representatives from peak bodies and service providers will explain the critical nature of the family violence services, in providing accommodation, preventing homelessness and offering essential practical, economic, psychological and legal support to at risk and vulnerable women.
Since 2009, NPAH funding has supported 180 services across Australia, 80,000 clients and 3,000 staff. Of these initiatives, 39 provide specialist domestic and family violence assistance to women. These services and jobs are on the line.
The organisations will point to the potential negative consequences if funding under the NPAH is not maintained, and urge the government to commit to renewing the funding agreement to allow these essential services to remain viable.
Media Contacts to attend the doorstop or arrange interviews:
- Fernando de Freitas (ACOSS) – 0419 626 155
- John Kelly (VCOSS) – 0418 127 153
- Alison Macdonald (DV Vic) – 0433 760 182
- Sarah Toohey (CHP) – 402 677 566
- Jacinta Wainwright (WRISC) – 0417 122 596
- Ginger Ridgeway (AFVPLS) – 0433 700 552
- Penny Underwood (McAuley Community Services for Women) – 0409 925 299