New data released this week by Domestic Violence NSW (DVNSW) reveals specialist domestic and family violence (DFV) services across NSW are being pushed beyond breaking point, after more than a decade without any real increase to core funding.
Commissioned through Equity Economics, DVNSW’s Unmet Demand report shows the frontline sector is collapsing under the weight of rising need.
Two in three victim-survivors seeking help – most of them mothers with children – are now unable to be assigned a caseworker, leaving many to face escalating danger alone.
The findings come as NSW once again recorded the highest number of women killed in a domestic violence context nationally in 2025, while frontline services are being held together by little more than staff goodwill.
New DVNSW member survey data from late 2025 paints an even starker picture, showing services are supporting an average of 150 per cent more clients than they are funded for – with some operating at more than 900 per cent of state-funded capacity.
Political choice
DVNSW CEO Delia Donovan said ignored calls for a 50 per cent increase to core funding have become more than a budget issue – they are now a political choice. ‘Goodwill is not a funding model – it’s exploitation,’ she said.
‘The NSW government must properly invest in frontline specialist DFV services – women and children’s lives at risk. We live in one of the wealthiest and most well-resourced states in the country, yet women and children are being forced back into violence because we can’t commit just 0.1 per cent of the state budget to the services that save their lives,’ Ms Donovan said.
A year on from DVNSW’s last report, which showed average wait times of two months for support across the state, the situation has continued to deteriorate.
The Unmet Demand report shows referrals have increased by more than 20 per cent across participating organisations, while the DFV workforce has shrunk due to funding cuts. To cope, staff are being forced to ration care – relying on waitlists, brief check-ins and external referrals even when no other service has capacity.
Enormous risks
‘Lack of capacity is putting victim-survivors in real danger,’ said Delia Donovan. ‘When people are turned away, some stop reaching out altogether. Others continue to take enormous risks just to try and get help.
‘Staff are paying for basic needs out of their own pockets, working unpaid overtime and fundraising in their own time just to keep women and children safe. Somewhere along the line, goodwill became a business model,’ said Ms Donovan.
Domestic and family violence continues to rise across NSW, with more than 300 DFV-related assaults recorded every day across the state. At the same time, soaring housing costs and a shortage of crisis accommodation are trapping women and children in unsafe situations for longer.
While recent state government funding announcements have directed money to service expansions, contract renewals and Corrections, none have delivered a real uplift to the core funding of existing frontline specialist DFV services.
DVNSW is again calling for a 50 per cent increase to core funding – an investment of $177.4 million. ‘The data is clear. The solutions are known. And in the context of the state budget, we’re asking for crumbs. But the impact of inaction is life or death,’ Ms Donovan said.
