Govt’s multimillion-dollar domestic violence funding cuts under fire
Queensland’s Opposition Leader is calling for a reversal in fundings cuts to frontline domestic violence services.
Labor Leader Steven Miles and Shadow Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman have called out the state government over some $40 million in funding cuts to domestic and family violence services revealed in state budget papers.
The state government had allocated $340.7 million towards DFV prevention for the 2026-27 financial year but latest budget papers reveal that while $379.2 million had been allocated in the 2025-26 budget, only $356.5 million was spent.
Domestic Family Violence prevention Minister Amanda Camm said that funding was for a “specific” recommendation from the women’s safety and justice taskforce, which was “time-limited” and had been “delivered”.
Camm said all of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce 277 recommendations were now part of the government’s domestic and family violence strategy.
“I will continue to work with other government agencies to ensure that we deliver every single recommendation and we are currently still on track to do so,” Camm said. “Our government is squarely focused on delivering protections for victim survivors.”
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But her comments were rejected by Miles who said: “Yesterday the LNP government were desperately briefing that there’d be no cuts to frontline DFV services.”
“Now we learn that there have been more cuts, this time directly affecting frontline services,” Miles said.
Miles told media this morning that a service that helps women escape violent homes with their children and put them in new, safe homes is a frontline service that needs government funding.
He said service providers told Labor they had sought to expand their services into other regions, but instead their funding was cut with no explanation from the government.
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Miles called for the Cabinet Budget Review Committee to reverse the funding cut decisions and instead expand funding to DFV services.
Shadow Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman claimed Camm had failed in her duty to keep women and children safe.
“Yesterday Amanda Camm couldn’t explain why almost $40 million in funding for domestic and family violence prevention was cut from this year’s budget,” Fentiman said. “Camm could not explain which recommendations of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce had been implemented or when the remaining recommendations of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce would be implemented.”
“Why hasn’t this Premier stood up and explained why he is cutting funding for domestic and family violence when more and more women are being killed by a partner or a former partner?”
Miles said that in 2022, Premier Crisafulli demanded Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce recommendations be implemented.
“Now some four years later we’re still unable to get answers about what this government has done because they got rid of the position that was designed to oversee and oversight and report that to the public.”
Miles said the public need to be notified, advised and updated on where this funding had gone and why.
Taskforce recommendations included supporting teachers and schools with respectful relationships education training, working with community groups and sporting clubs, and working earlier with perpetrators to ensure that they do not go on to re-offend.
“The reality is there is almost $40 million being spent less this year than there was last year on domestic and family violence prevention,” Fentiman said.
“I note that the Premier is in Toowoomba today and yesterday Jana Armstrong’s family walked out of court and expressed disappointment about funding cuts to domestic and family violence prevention.”
The remains of 30-year-old mother Jana Armstrong were found in bushland northeast of Toowoomba on Saturday – her former partner has now been charged with domestic violence-related murder.
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