Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The national statistics are shocking: one woman is killed every week by a current or former partner, and one in four women experience sexual or intimate partner violence in their lifetimes. The local impact on every community is shocking. Domestic violence is not confined to just one part of the country, and, sadly, my community in Wentworth is not immune. In fact, police commanders tell me that domestic violence is responsible for around half of the police work in our local area, and I've heard countless heartbreaking stories of women subjected to this terrible abuse.

That's why having local support services is absolutely critical. We are lucky to have several such services in Wentworth, but they're under serious strain. The Lokahi Foundation, which supports survivors of domestic and family violence, is dealing with government funding not being renewed. Just last month, we thought it might be forced to close its doors, and it's only been able to stay open thanks to a generous private donor. Another organisation, JewishCare, has received so many requests for support, from people of all faiths and none, that it needs additional resources to keep up with the case load. It's turning away up to 10 people daily—people seeking refuge either from DV or from other issues. It is absolutely critical that the government continue to fund domestic violence services, particularly in my community but also around the country, and I call on them to do so.