Now is the time to act on domestic violence, ACT government told

Support workers, lawyers and victims are pleading with the government to respond to public outrage over four tragic family violence-related deaths this year, and commit new funds in the territory budget in three weeks.

Domestic Violence Crisis Service executive director Mirjana Wilson said the time for action is now.

"This is a year where we have the Australian of the Year [Rosie Batty], we have four of our own members of our community whose lives have been taken," Ms Wilson said.

"I want to know what else would need to happen for us to commit this year."

For the past two months, Fairfax Media has explored the way the territory is responding to the national domestic violence crisis through its Behind Closed Doors series.

It has found no shortage of areas in need.

Existing crisis support services and frontline workers are already struggling to meet spikes in demand with unchanged funding levels. Refuges, crisis workers, and phone lines seek more funds to help them meet the demand.

Ms Wilson, and many others surveyed by Fairfax Media in past week, said funding is needed across the entire spectrum of the territory's domestic violence response; from primary and early intervention measures, to crisis support, and longer-term help.

She said programs to foster awareness and respect from an earlier age are key to bringing about long-term change, and should be part of the school curriculum.

The YWCA is asking for $600,000 over three years to bring its award-winning program to primary schools in the ACT.

There are also calls for better support for victims past the crisis stage of domestic violence, to help them escape the cycle of abuse.

That could come in the form of medium-term housing support, financial assistance, counselling, and improved legal assistance.

Ms Wilson said a dedicated long-term "Staying At Home Program" is needed to assist women who do not leave to a refuge.

Victims of Crime Commissioner John Hinchey backed calls for better education and awareness measures, while also advocating for improved resourcing to enable the broader service system – hospitals and GPs, for example – to identify and respond to domestic violence.

Mr Hinchey, also the ACT's Domestic Violence Prevention Council acting chairman, said funding was needed for specific programs to change the behaviour of perpetrators.

"What I've observed in the four years that I've been the commissioner is that now, of all times, is the time to take some courageous steps," Mr Hinchey said.

"Some innovative, brave, bold, new steps and new approaches to the management and responses to domestic violence.

"If we can't take those courageous steps now, we never will."

The ACT government has been put in a difficult position after the federal government's meagre contribution of a single new measure – $16.7 million for an awareness campaign – in this week's budget, despite pressure for more.

ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell has already redirected $300,000 from the confiscated assets fund toward domestic violence prevention, and announced several legislative reforms in recent months.

The government is also working within a longer-term ACT prevention strategy that runs until 2017, and a national plan on domestic violence that continues until 2022.

Recommendations from last month's Domestic Violence Prevention Council extraordinary meeting have created a launch pad for the ACT's response.

The council's report called for urgent action to foster widespread cultural change towards domestic violence, more support for victims and frontline support workers, better intervention programs for perpetrators and improvements to the legal and justice system's response.

Tellingly, the report found the ACT lacked a "whole-of-government" approach to the issue.

Mr Corbell is responding to that report, and has already announced the introduction of a new strangulation offence, and changes to interim domestic violence orders to reduce the impacts on victims.

He said funding questions were being considered through the budget process, and said the government was working closely with existing services to understand the problems they are facing.

Perpetrator programs were also being looked at, he said.

"The recent attention given to domestic and family violence reform has received support at a national and local level and the ACT is actively working to make changes to help prevent domestic and family abuse," he said.

Beryl Women's Refuge manager Robyn Martin wants to see stronger support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims, to help them to heal, and to access justice and services.

Meanwhile, Legal Aid ACT chief executive John Boersig said his specialised domestic violence unit, which plays a vital role in facilitating access to justice, needs prioritisation.

He also called for funds to develop a support worker training and community legal education program for domestic violence.

The community education program would help ensure victims knew what their rights were and where to go for help for a range of broader issues; like housing, tenancy, and debt, for example.

"We also want to train the support workers who are working with [the victims] ... so that they are better armed to understand what their clients' problems are."

Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson called for substantive and tangible action to tackle domestic violence in this year's budget.

Mr Hanson, who previously pledged bipartisan support to tackle the problem, said funding was most needed for existing support services that were struggling to meet demand.

"From my perspective it's very important that the government addresses the issues from the ground up."

He urged the government to prioritise emergency housing for domestic violence survivors and to ensure the court system was adequately resourced for domestic violence matters to drive down waiting lists.

Mr Hanson also wanted more funding directed towards preventative measures to educate people on the root causes of domestic violence and ease pressure on crisis and support services down the track.