Thursday, 5 March 2026

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence) (12:36): I rise to update the house on the next steps in the implementation of Respect Ballarat, which is Victoria’s nation-leading whole-of-community effort to prevent gendered violence. Every woman and child deserves to be safe and live free from violence at home and in their community. That is why the Allan Labor government is investing in prevention, backing local organisations and strengthening frontline responses to family violence. Last Wednesday I had the honour to announce that 11 local partnerships will share in $1 million to deliver prevention programs across the Ballarat community over the next 12 months. The successful programs include working with young people in sports clubs to challenge harmful gender stereotypes, supporting new parents to build safe and healthy families and delivering prevention programs in construction and trade industries.

To build on this work I also announced a new Respect Ballarat competitive grant program delivered by Respect Victoria, with $3.76 million available over two years. These grants will support prevention initiatives in four priority settings identified through the community co-design: early years, community sport, education and workplaces. As part of the next phase Women’s Health Grampians will receive $1.2 million to support local implementation, including engaging men in preventing gendered violence and strengthening prevention for women with disabilities, and a further $430,000 will be provided to support initiatives led by First Peoples organisations, self-determined by local First Peoples communities.

Alongside this prevention work, we are strengthening frontline responses in Ballarat and in Caroline Springs, and I have announced the next sites for the Alexis family violence response model, to open by June this year, in those two locations. Together these investments reflect our commitment to preventing family violence before it starts and supporting safer communities.