Legislative Council Tuesday 17 March 2020

 Ms FORREST asked the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, Mrs Hiscutt –

With regard to the economic cost of family violence in Tasmania –

1. (a) What is the cost of health care related to treating women who are subject to family violence?

(b) What is the cost of health care related to treating men who are subject to family violence?

2. What is the cost of provision of, an access to, justice for women impacted by family violence?

3. (a) What is the cost of the provision of, and access to, justice for men as perpetrators of family violence?

(b) What is the cost of the provision of, and access to, justice for men impacted by family violence?

4. (a) What is the economic and social cost of time away from education for women, as a result of family violence?

(b) What is the economic and social cost of time away from education for men, as a result of family violence?

5. (a) What is the cost of the provision of shelter for women resulting from family violence?

(b) What is the cost of the provision of shelter for men resulting from family violence?

The incorporated answer read as follows –

In May 2016, the Australian Government released the report The Cost of Violence against Women and their Children in Australia.

The report updated KPMG’s 2009 report and analysis titled The Cost of Violence Against Women and their Children. It is very difficult to estimate costs to government, community and individuals, which is why we use the figures developed by KPMG.

In 2015-16, based on the 2012 Personal Safety Survey, it was estimated the total cost of violence against violence against women and their children was $22 billion. Victims and survivors bear $11.3 billion, or 52 per cent, of the total costs. The Australian Government, state and territory governments bear $4.1 billion, or 19 per cent, of the total costs. 

It was estimated the cost to Tasmania was $500 million. Of the $22 billion, the report estimated the cost of physical and sexual violence as $12 billion and the cost of emotional abuse and stalking as $10 billion.

Safe Homes, Families, Communities: Tasmania’s action plan for family and sexual violence 2019-2022 (Safe Homes, Families, Communities) invests $26 million over three years to 40 direct and practical actions to prevent and respond to family and sexual violence. This funding is in addition to Safe at Home services; specialist services funded by the Government and delivered by the community sector; and government and community services that interact with victim-survivors and perpetrators, but are not specialist services. An additional challenge is we know that family violence is under reported.

Therefore, any estimates are likely to be less than actual costs. For example, the 2016 report states -under representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, pregnant women, women with disability, and women who are homeless within national prevalence estimates may add a further $4 billion to the cost of violence against women and their children in Australia in 2015-16.

With regard to the economic cost of family violence in Tasmania –

1.(a) What is the cost of health care related to treating women who are subject to family violence?

(b) What is the cost of health care related to treating men who are subject to family violence?

The 2016 report estimated the impact of violence on private and public health systems is estimated to cost victims, their communities and government $1.4 billion. In Australia, intimate partner violence is the greatest health risk factor for women aged 25 to 44 years. Victim-survivors and perpetrators don't necessarily identify family violence as the cause of or reason for injuries when presenting to hospital or GPs. Therefore, it is hard to estimate.

2. What is the cost of provision of, an access to, justice for women impacted by family violence?

3. (a) What is the cost of the provision of, and access to, justice for men as perpetrators of family violence?

(b) What is the cost of the provision of, and access to, justice for men impacted by family violence

The 2016 KPMG report estimates the impact of violence against women and their children on the justice, services and funeral sectors is estimated to cost the Australian economy $1.7 billion