- Cook Government commits $34.9 million to expand Family and Domestic Violence Response Teams to seven-days a week operation with more frontline staff and dedicated Central Triage Team premises
- Funding package will boost capacity of FDVRTs to deliver intensive intervention, safety planning and support to victim-survivors of family and domestic violence
- Part of Cook Government's $109.9 million FDV package to support and keep victim-survivors safe, hold perpetrators to account, expand crisis accommodation, strengthen frontline teams and raise community awareness
Family and Domestic Violence Response Teams (FDVRTs) are being expanded to operate seven days a week with more frontline specialist staff across Western Australia thanks to a $34.9 million State Government funding boost.
The funding package, announced during the 16 Days in WA campaign, will boost the capacity of FDVRTs to deliver intensive intervention, safety planning and support to victim-survivors of family and domestic violence.
FDVRTs are a partnership between the Department of Communities, Western Australia Police Force, Department of Justice Adult Community Corrections and Family and Domestic Violence Coordinated Response Services.
They play a vital role in coordinating frontline responses to family and domestic violence, improving the safety of child and adult victim-survivors, connecting people to wrap-around support services and strengthening perpetrator accountability.
The funding will also deliver a new, dedicated premises for the Perth-based Central Triage Team, which undertakes the initial assessment and triage of Police-submitted Family Violence Incident Reports before the State-wide FDVRTs deliver follow-up support and intervention services in their community.
Seven-day-a-week operation of the FDVRTs was introduced throughout regional WA in the first half of 2025. Currently FDVRTs in the metropolitan area operate Monday-Friday.
Today's announcement includes:
- $13.2 million for 18 additional senior child safety practitioners and three team leader supervisors;
- $8.7 million for specialist Coordinated Response Services to support victim-survivors;
- $10.3 million for 21 new civilian police staff to analyse and support police responses to intervene in a perpetrator's patterns of violent behaviours; and
- $2.7 million for the fit out and lease of a new Central Triage Team premises.
The State Government has invested $93.7 million in enhancing the FDVRT model since 2020-21, and more than $700 million on measures to address family and domestic violence in Western Australia since 2017.
The announcement comes during the State Government's 16 Days in WA campaign which runs from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day).
The campaign theme for 2025 is "Stopping Family and Domestic Violence: Play Your Part", which encourages everyone to take action to increase awareness, call out disrespectful behaviour and help stop the cycle of violence.
As stated by Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Jessica Stojkovski:
"Responses to family and domestic violence are complex, requiring the involvement of many service systems and agencies including child protection, police, justice, specialised family and domestic violence services, courts, health, and housing.
"Today's funding announcement will expand and boost our frontline response to family and domestic violence by ensuring our Family and Domestic Violence Response Teams can assist more victim-survivors around WA.
"The Central Triage Team and place-based FDVRTs provide a dedicated response following a family and domestic violence incident, and deliver a timely, coordinated approach designed to intervene in a person's use of violence and support families on their path to safety.
"This major investment shows the Cook Government's unwavering commitment to building safe and inclusive communities."
As stated by Police Minister Reece Whitby:
"It's a sad fact that police respond to a significant number of family and domestic violence incidents.
"Family violence is a nationwide scourge, and we are committed to keeping the WA community safe.
"This funding will ensure police are well-equipped to continue working with multiple agencies to respond to these abhorrent crimes to keep Western Australians safe."
