The government has committed $1.9 billion to implement all of the 227 recommendations from the Family Violence Royal Commission.

Ballarat’s will be one of two regional courts to receive funding for a dedicated family violence court as part of a $130.3 million package to implement five specialist family violence courts in the state.

Recommendations for family violence courts include specialist staff, dedicated police prosecutors and remote witness facilities.  

The budget includes $14.5 million over four years for Victoria’s community legal centres to extend existing duty lawyer and family violence services. The funding will assist centres like Central Highlands Community Legal Centre (CHCLC) to meet increasing demand. CHCLC saw a 19 per cent spike in cases involving family violence last year. Family violence constitutes a third of the centre’s caseload. 

Federation executive director Serina McDuff said the budget’s focus on domestic violence would cater for “thousands” of people in need being turned away by the state’s community legal centres.

WRISC Family Violence Support executive officer Libby Jewson said the government’s package would allow critical cooperation between Central Highlands agencies to continue. 

“This funding will enable all agencies to work more closely together and in working together, responding to the family violence situation that we have Victoria-wide.” 

Attorney General Martin Pakula said the funding measures increase support for victims and their families in the justice system.