Page 2395 - Week 07 - Thursday, 4 August 2022
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Our job is to make sure that we help households with that. The Sustainable Household Scheme, for which the Chief Minister has lead responsibility, is an example of that, where the government helps people with the up-front cost with an interest-free loan. For government, our particular role needs to be with respect to the lower income households, to ensure that there is a just transition, so that people are not left behind.
Those who cannot afford the upgrades are those likely to be in rental properties—those who will struggle to find that quantum of capital to get new equipment and get the support they need. There will be plenty of people who will do this as a matter of course, as part of renovating their house and making upgrades. Those people will do their job. Government’s particular role here is to provide clarity and to provide support for those who will need help to make that transition. In doing so, we will actually leave them better off in the long run, just as our solar for low income program helps people to get into solar with no up-front costs; it saves them, on average, $1,000 a year in electricity bills. These are the sort of things we can do to help people to reduce their energy bills and do the right thing by the planet.
Budget—domestic, family and sexual violence
DR PATERSON: My question is to the Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence. Minister, what investments does the 2022-23 budget make to address domestic, family and sexual violence in the ACT?
MS BERRY: I thank Dr Paterson for her question. The ACT government is committed to preventing and responding to domestic and family violence in the ACT. Everyone has the right to be safe. Addressing domestic, family and sexual violence is everyone’s business. In the 2022-23 budget there is an investment of $71.6 million across a broad range of measures; of this there is $24 million in new spending.
Frontline services are critical in responding to incidents of domestic and family violence. The budget also extends the successful Family Violence Safety Action Pilot program. The health justice partnerships, successful in supporting women in maternal care settings, will also continue. The budget also invests in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including commitments to continue to consult with communities and implement an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-led response.
The budget also recognises a need to invest in the prevention of domestic and family violence in the longer term. The government will develop an enduring prevention strategy and implement culture change activities. Violence is always the responsibility of the perpetrator. The budget continues the Room4Change behaviour change program in 2022-23. The budget also delivers training and capability building in the specialist sector and beyond.
Finally, the budget delivers on the ACT government’s commitment to implement the recommendations of the Listen. Take Action to Prevent, Believe and Heal report on sexual violence. This includes new supports for victim-survivors, as well as ongoing consultation with victim-survivors and a pilot of co-located services and reviews of existing systems.
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