Spotlight on Economic Abuse: a Literature and Policy Review

the Victorian Government commenced a process of consultation on a new three year
action plan (State of Victoria 2012a).
Also in Victoria, A Right to Safety and Justice: Strategic Framework to Guide
Continuing Family Violence Reform in Victoria 2010-2020 (State of Victoria 2010b)
set out six priority action areas, one of which focused on system capacity and
included increasing the capacity of mainstream services to respond to family
violence, developing responses to provide long and medium-term housing options,
and increasing legal support.
For our Sons and Daughters: A Queensland Government Strategy to reduce
domestic and family violence 2009‐2014 (Queensland Government 2009). The
Queensland strategy included a community engagement program to increase
awareness of the social and personal impacts of domestic and family violence
initiatives and continued support for an Elder Abuse Prevention Unit including the
development of a helpline for people experiencing elder abuse, and their friends,
carers and families and the funding of five Seniors Legal and Support Services, to
provide free assistance for seniors who are at risk or experiencing elder abuse or
financial exploitation.
In South Australia A Right to Safety: The next Phase of South Australia’s Women’s
Safety Strategy 2011-2022 (Government of South Australia 2011) includes the
promotion of employment participation to achieve gender equality among its
preventative strategies and it includes the promotion of workplace measures to
support women.
The WA Strategic Plan for Domestic and Family Violence 2009-2013 (Government of
Western Australia 2009) does not have any particular focus on economic equality or
on women’s financial stability. It does include a strategy to provide long-term housing
options with a focus on regional and remote areas and Aboriginal communities.
Safe at Home: A Criminal Justice Framework for Responding to Family Violence in
Tasmania (State of Tasmania 2003) is a whole-of-government strategy that has a
strong justice focus.
In the Australian Capital Territory, the ACT Prevention of Violence against Women
and Children Strategy (ACT Government 2011) identifies as important the continuum
of care and holistic support including health, housing, education, employment and
legal assistance and includes strategies aimed at linking service systems and
identifying and addressing gaps in ongoing support responses
The overarching policy framework in the Northern Territory is provided by the
Building on Our Strengths: A Framework for Action for Women in the Northern
Territory 2008-2012 (Northern Territory Government 2008) has five priorities, one of
which is safety. A second priority which is not specially linked to violence is for
education and employment for economic security and includes increasing access to
financial planning.
In all states and territories there is a much wider range of policies which impact on
responses to domestic and family violence and which may impact on economic abuse. For
example, in New South Wales relevant policies and plans identified in the Stop the Violence,
End the Silence: NSW Domestic and Family Violence Action Plan at the time of its release
included those concerned with: Aboriginal Communities’ wellbeing; child welfare;
homelessness; child sexual assault in Aboriginal communities; the prevention of violence
against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people; and the provision of services for
people with a disability. In Victoria in 2008 a ten-year plan was developed by The Indigenous
Family Violence Partnership Forum established by the Victorian Government in 2004; Strong
Culture, Strong Peoples, Strong Families - Towards a safer future for Indigenous families
and communities (Aboriginal Affairs Victoria 2008) includes a safety objective which has
some focus on strategies for the longer-term wellbeing of people experiencing family
violence.
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