A scathing audit of a tax levy intended to fund frontline domestic and family violence services has found problems with its effectiveness and transparency. And, as the ACT’s crisis services struggle to meet unrelenting demand for support, those working in the sector are hopeful the findings will lead to change.
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00:00Workers on the front line of the ACT's domestic violence crisis response are struggling with
00:07the sheer number of calls for help.
00:10On a good day we are answering somewhere around 50 per cent of the calls that come through.
00:15On a bad day we're answering about 33 per cent.
00:18The risk attached to the violence that people are experiencing is escalating.
00:23We need to be ready for the secondary response once somebody reaches out for help and that's
00:29the big gap, that is where we can't respond.
00:32In 2016, in the wake of a spate of domestic violence deaths in Canberra, the ACT government
00:38announced a levy to help fund frontline services.
00:41It's now a $50 annual charge, included in rates bills, and one that has since raised
00:47more than $46 million in revenue.
00:51An audit of the scheme has now echoed the concerns of the community sector, finding
00:56poor communication, a lack of transparency and accountability about how funds had been
01:01allocated.
01:03It also revealed where the money had been spent.
01:06I think to find that some of it was used for mechanisms of government doesn't meet community
01:12expectation on what a levy should fund.
01:14Earlier this year, the ACT government did make changes, promising that from 1 July the
01:19levy would only go towards frontline services, and it says it will take the Auditor General's
01:24recommendations on board.
01:26One was around an ACT domestic and family violence strategy.
01:31One was around more performance monitoring of the programs that the levy does fund and
01:36obviously some more transparency around the programs that are funded.
01:40The strategy is expected to be released next year.
01:44Those on the frontline, and victims, will have to wait and hope it makes a difference.