14/05/2026
Last night, the Albanese Government handed down the 2026-27 Federal Budget. Here is what it means for women's safety and what's still missing.
What's in the Budget:
CHILD SUPPORT REFORM
$182.6 million over four years
The most significant new measure for DV specifically. The Government has acknowledged that the Child Support Scheme is being weaponised by perpetrators as a tool of coercive control, $2 billion in child support debt is owed, with women making up 83% of recipient parents. Reforms include giving Services Australia powers to halt vexatious behaviour, tightening enforcement, and requiring parents with debts over $10,000 to enter payment arrangements before travelling overseas.
This matters. Financial abuse through child support is one of the most common and least recognised forms of post-separation coercive control.
FIRST NATIONS FAMILY SAFETY
The most substantial new DV-specific investment in this budget is for First Nations women and children. Of the $218.3 million committed, $167.6 million goes directly to a national network of up to 40 Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations delivering community-led specialist family violence services.
First Nations women make up 3% of the adult female population but have comprised an average of 16% of adult female homicide victims every year since 1989. These are not just numbers. They represent a profound and ongoing failure to protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women one this investment must begin to address.
The National Agreement on Closing the Gap has set a target of reducing family violence against First Nations women and children by 50% by 2031.
A new national peak body, Our Ways Strong Together, was launched in March 2026 to give First Nations communities a formal voice in shaping policy and programs on family safety. This is a meaningful structural reform. The investment is significant and the community-controlled model is right. Implementation must honour that commitment.
HIGHER EDUCATION GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE CODE
From 1 January 2026, mandatory national standards now apply to all Australian universities for preventing and responding to gender-based violence. A new regulator has been established within the Department of Education.
WHAT'S STILL MISSING
The Government faces a genuinely difficult economic environment.
Safe and Equal, Victoria's peak body for specialist family violence organisations acknowledges this and still says: "limited funding for family violence will cost lives."
Their Interim CEO Christine Mathieson put it plainly: "If we don't invest in stopping this violence before it starts and responding to those who are in crisis, it will end up costing the economy more and most importantly, it will end up costing more lives."
Safe and Equal has raised specific concerns that cuts to the NDIS and insufficient investment in social housing will disproportionately impact family violence victim survivors, many of whom depend on these universal systems to escape and recover from abuse.
The continued funding for the 500 Workers Initiative, while welcome, does little to address skyrocketing demand for family violence support. Frontline workforces across the nation are buckling under the strain. As Ms Mathieson said: "The best way to support them is through job security and that can only come through increased and secure funding for specialist family violence services."
Financial insecurity is one of the most documented barriers to leaving a violent relationship. A Budget that doesn't address housing, income support and the cost of living is a Budget with a gap in its DV response. We wrote about this earlier this week, the cost-of-living crisis and the violence against women crisis are the same crisis.
As Safe and Equal said: family violence isn't inevitable. But it will remain so unless our leaders make difficult choices, take bold action and prioritise change.
We will continue watching how these measures are implemented. Funding announcements are only as meaningful as their delivery.
🔗 Safe and Equal budget response: safeandequal.org.au/2026/05/13/2026-27-federal-budget/
🔗 Women's Budget Statement analysis: honisoit.com/2026/05/__trashed-6/
🔗 The cost of living crisis is a violence against women crisis — Women's Agenda: womensagenda.com.au/latest/eds-blog/the-cost-of-living-crisis-is-a-violence-against-women-crisis-the-budget-must-address-it/
🔗 First Nations Budget factsheet: niaa.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2026-05/First-Nations-Budget-2026-27-Factsheet.pdf
If you or someone you know needs support:
📞 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732
📞 DVConnect: 1800 811 811
📞 Full Stop Australia: 1800 424 017
📞 Rainbow DV Helpline (LGBTQIA+): 1800 497 212
📞 13YARN: 13 92 76
📞 MensLine Australia: 1300 789 978
📞 Emergency: 000
