A NSW Labor government would pump an additional $923,701 a year into the NSW Sexual Violence Helpline to guarantee people impacted by sexual violence can continue to receive urgent, 24/7 state-wide specialist counselling services.
The announcement comes after the helpline experienced a 27 per cent increase in calls last year.
The increased $923,701 in extra core funding per year will cover the wages of an additional 25 counsellors, as demand for the service continues to rise.
The latest funding would be a boost to the $467,679 one off funding injection announced in February to improve access to sexual violence services in priority populations, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, women with disability, migrant and refugee women, under 15 youths, and people from the LGBTIQA+ community.
In 2021, the number of calls the hotline received jumped by 27 per cent, with a total of 14,089 calls and online assistance.
The shortage of funding for counsellors has seen almost one in three calls go unanswered. In the past twelve months, up to 4,000 calls to the NSW Sexual Violence Helpline went unanswered. Between March 2017-2022, sexual assault crime rates rose in the state by 4.2 per cent.
The NSW Sexual Violence Helpline aims to continue delivering 24-hour telephone and online crisis counselling support for people who have experienced or are at risk of sexual assault, family or domestic violence.
CEO of Full Stop Australia Haley Foster welcomed the latest news.
“We thank NSW Labor for their commitment to ensure every survivor of sexual violence in NSW can get the support they need when they need it,” she said.
Her organisation, which operates the helplines, provides training for workplaces and communities to better prevent and respond to bullying, harassment and abuse. Foster made special mention of Jodie Harrison, Shadow Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, who has been “committed in her advocacy for sexual assault survivors across NSW to have access to the support they need, when they need it.”
“This [Labor] pledge will mean that every survivor of sexual violence in NSW,” she said. “…no matter their location, age, gender or ethnicity, can get the same access to free, confidential, 24/7 trauma specialist support.”
In February, Foster called on the NSW Government to invest an additional $1.4 million in the 2022/23 Budget to ensure the NSW Sexual Violence Helpline can answer every call.
“The NSW Sexual Violence Helpline is not a luxury,” she reiterated this week. “It is an essential service.”
“We warmly welcome a bipartisan approach from the Premier and his government to ensure every survivor of sexual violence can get the support they need.”
Prue Car, NSW Labor Deputy Leader agreed, declaring “We need to do better.”
“Sexual violence remains one of the most important challenges in our society,” she said.
“The services Full Stop Australia provide to the NSW community are invaluable and we are proud to support their ongoing efforts, particularly the support they provide through the NSW Sexual Violence Helpline.”
“It is hard enough as it to make the decision to reach out and ask for help – it us unacceptable for no one to pick up at the other end when you do make that call.”
“The rising incidences of sexual assault crime in NSW are extremely concerning, and this will not be the last thing we have to say on the matter.”
Jodie Harrison added that it was “…important victims in NSW feel they are heard and supported and that simply cannot happen if there is no one on the end of the phone to listen.”
“This is an important first step in NSW Labor’s commitment to supporting both victims and providers in this state.”
Last month, Premier Dominic Perrottet announced a $69.6 million funding boost to expand the Safer Pathway program.
The Premier said the money will be used to invest in victim-survivors services and reduce the trauma experienced during legal proceedings.
Perrottet called the rate of violence experienced by the one-in-six people from a current or former partner “an absolute travesty.”
“We have made big inroads over a period of time but it’s still a blight on our state and nation,” he said. “As a government and a people, we need to do better.”
“We want to make sure that all counselling services that are funded by the NSW government ensure that people who need that support and help are given it,” he said in Parliament last month, responding to a request for comment from Greens MP Jenny Leong regarding the rate of unanswered calls to the helpline.”
“Where we can do more, we should.”