Budget addresses DFV, safety issues

Further investment in an evidence-based Community Safety Plan and a 20 per cent uplift in funding for state-funded domestic, family and sexual violence services are just two of the commitments in the 2024-2025 Queensland Budget released today.

There is also recognition of the need for increased funding for courts and tribunals, and for a range of programs to address the root causes of crime. 

QLS has gathered together the measures of interest for the legal profession.

Community Safety Plan for Queensland

• $1.28 billion in funding for the Community Safety Plan for Queensland over 5 years for community safety measures, including support for the victims of crime, funding for rehabilitation programs and investment in evidence-based intervention and prevention programs
• The increased investment includes:
  • $35.3 million over 2 years to support court reform initiatives to address increases in adult and youth crime
  • $261.4 million to deliver a therapeutic operational model at Woodford Youth Detention Centre to provide rehabilitation programs and break cycle of reoffending
  • $34.4 million to support Victims of Crime Community Response Program, Victims Assist Queensland, Victim Liaison Service
  • $4.1 million over 4 years and $1.1 million per annum ongoing to appoint an additional magistrate to support Mount Isa and Gulf of Carpentaria communities
  • $13.6 million to expand Youth Co-Responder Teams in Cairns, Gold Coast and south Brisbane and additional teams in Sunshine Coast and South West
  • $6 million to non-government organisations to provide after-hours support for young people
  • $1.5 million in 2024-25 to support Family and Child Commission’s First Nations focused work

Addressing domestic, family and sexual violence

• $154.4 million to tackle domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) over 4 years with $36 million go directly to frontline DFSV service providers every year – this equates to a permanent 20% uplift in core funding
• $6.8 million over 4 years and up to $4 million ongoing to establish and support the Office of the Victims Commissioner and the Sexual Violence Case Review Board (as part of the Community Safety Plan)
• Additional $14.8 million over 2 years to Queensland Corrective Services to support perpetrators’ rehabilitation and re-entry to the community
• $16.9 million over 5 years to deliver Domestic and Family Violence foundational training modules, including coercive control and legislative change modules and to establish a state-wide DFV training and support and coordination service

Investment in justice measures

• $22.6 million in 2024-25 for community legal centres ($12.4 million for Community Legal Centres and $10.2 million for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, as part of the Community Safety Plan)
• $24.8 million over 5 years and $5.2 million per annum ongoing to permanently establish the Justice Reform Office
• $6.6 million over 4 years and $1.7 million per annum ongoing for the First Nations Justice Office
• $5 million over 5 years and $1.1 million per annum ongoing to Queensland Human Rights Commission 
• $1.6 million over 4 years and $206,000 per annum ongoing to support the Child Death Review Board
• $3.2 million over 5 years and $737,000 ongoing to support Office of Public Guardian in increased watch house visits
• $31.6 million over 5 years and $861,000 ongoing to support the ongoing implementation of recommendations from the Commission on Inquiry into Forensic DNA Testing in Queensland

Courts, Tribunals and supporting services

• Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) to receive an additional $73.1 million in funding over five years, and $20 million per annum thereafter, to provide accessible and inexpensive civil dispute resolution services across Queensland. Funding increase includes 60 new FTE positions
• Qld Health investment to expand the successful Long Stay Rapid Response and QCAT Hospital Bedside Hearings programs
• Coroners Court of Queensland to receive additional $3.129 million over the next four years, including $816,000 to establish an employee wellbeing program to proactively manage the risks around vicarious trauma.
• $17.6 million over 5 years and $4 million ongoing to support escalating workloads at District Court of Queensland
• $14.7 million over 5 years and $3.3 million per annum ongoing to support the increasing workload of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission
• $6.8 million over 5 years and $2.1 million per annum ongoing to enhance Queensland Courts to ensure safety of DFV victims
• Beenleigh and Townsville Courts to receive almost $28 million and $7.5 million respectively, to alleviate pressures associated with high demand
• $2.6 million to expand courtroom capacity at Brisbane Supreme and District Courts to mitigate demand at Beenleigh
• $33.4 million for court recording and transcription services
• $2.2 million in 2024-25 to continue the Queensland Intermediary Scheme to support vulnerable victims (as part of the Community Safety Plan)
• $5.9 million for the Office of the Public Guardian to protect vulnerable Queensland children and adults with impaired decision making capacity
• $22 million in end-to-end case management to tailor program interventions and pre- and post-release strategies
• $3.3 million to extend the trial of the Culture Family partnership services in Harvey Bay, Logan and South West Brisbane

Youth justice funding

• $24 million over 2 years to enable targeted and immediate responses to emerging youth crime and expand the On Country Program
• $195.4 million over 5 years for youth engagement activities including support for 4 additional Queensland Pathways State College campuses
• $24.3 million over 3 years for educational services for young people in detention at Wacol Youth Remand Centre
• $2.5 million over 2 years to provide services to young people accommodated in Caboolture Watchhouse Hub

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander initiatives

• $56.1 million over 4 years for the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry
• $40 million over 4 years for First Nations Treaty Institute
• $1.9 million in 2024-2-25 to support ongoing operation of the Meriba Omasker Kaziw Kazipa (Torres Strait Islander Traditional Child Rearing Practices) Act 2020 to provide ongoing legal recognition of Torres Strait Islander traditional child rearing practices

Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services

• $9.9 million over 5 years and $1.1 million each year ongoing for disability advocacy, to support Queenslanders with disability to understand their rights, navigate services, address discrimination and make informed decisions.
• $27.7 million over 4 years and $7.3 each year ongoing to support the Unify system, the integrated case and client management system for all children who come in contact with the child protection and youth justice systems in Queensland
• $7.1 million in 2024-25 for Child Protection Litigation Model, to assist in responding to increasing volume of cases before the Court, including  $2.6 million in 2024-25 for Office of the Child and Family Official Solicitor for legal services to deliver critical capacity enhancements to the current Child Protection Litigation Model  

Revenue and tax measures

• Increasing eligibility thresholds for first home concession to dutiable value up to $800,000 (currently $500,000) and first home vacant land concession eligibility extended to dutiable value up to $500,000 (currently $400,000)
• 50% payroll tax rebate for apprentices and trainees to be extended for a further 12 months to 30 June 2025, delivering an estimated tax relief of $54.9 million for Queensland businesses employing trainees and apprentices

Small business support

• $19.7 million over 3 years to support delivery of Queensland Small Business Strategy 2024-2027 including continuing the $650 rebate on electricity bills, continuing the small business grants program, expanding access to mentoring for Indigenous businesses and assistance to help small businesses recover from natural disaster events including through wellness coaching and financial counselling
• $1.9 million in 2024-2025 to continue the Social Enterprise Jobs Fund and Queensland Social Enterprise Council.

As part of cost-of-living relief measures, a range of fees and charges will be unchanged for 2024-2025, after the Government Indexation Rate has been set to zero per cent.

This will apply to many fees and charges affecting individuals, households and businesses (including the Emergency Management Levy and some specific transport-related fees).