Scruby Presses Government For Critical Funding Boost to Women's Services
Independent Member for Pittwater Jacqui Scruby has used Question Time in the NSW Parliament to demand sustainable, ongoing funding for local domestic and family violence services, warning that life-saving shelters are being forced to turn women away due to capacity constraints.
Directing a Question without Notice to the Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Jodie Harrison, Ms Scruby highlighted the devastating reality of the domestic violence crisis: 32 domestic violence-related deaths in New South Wales last year alone, and a national rate of one woman or child killed every four days. In 2026 there have already been 18 women who have lost their lives through domestic violence.
This week, on Thursday May 7, the day after National Domestic Violence Remembrance Day, Zonta NB combined with the Northern Beaches DV Network, and many of their member organisations to hold a candlelight vigil at twilight in Apex Park Mona Vale, to honour and remember these women and children.
But these vital local services including the Northern Beaches Women's Shelter, Mary's House Services, and Women and Children First are operating under severe capacity constraints, turning away hundreds of women each year. Currently, these essential frontline services rely heavily on local philanthropy to bridge the gap in state funding.
Ms Scruby also backed calls from peak body Domestic Violence NSW for the NSW Government to increase core funding for crisis services by 50 per cent, signing a joint letter with independent colleagues on the crossbench of the Legislative Assembly to the Treasurer, The Hon. Daniel Mookhey, MLC, calling for urgent investment in specialist domestic and family violence services.
While welcoming the Minister’s acknowledgement of the incredible work done by Northern Beaches Women's Shelter and Mary's House, as well as the confirmation that a new Core and Cluster refuge is being built in the Pittwater electorate, Ms Scruby is calling for immediate financial security for existing, proven grassroots services.
Member for Pittwater Jacqui Scruby said:
"We cannot rely on the generosity of our local community to fund essential, life-saving services. When women in Pittwater and across the Northern Beaches make the brave decision to leave an abusive situation, we must ensure there is a fully funded bed and wrap-around support waiting for them.
"Our local shelters - Northern Beaches Women's Shelter, Mary's House, and Women and Children First - do phenomenal, life-saving work, but they are stretched to the absolute limit. What’s worse is that the demand is hidden with the government only collecting data on government-related services.
“Along with my independent colleagues on the crossbench, I am calling on the Treasurer to stabilise the system by increasing core funding for specialist services in the 2026-27 State Budget. That would be around 0.1 percent of the budget and that funding will save lives.”
Chief Executive Officer of Northern Beaches Women's Shelter Narelle Hand said:
“We are the services with the local knowledge, established trust, and proven expertise to respond effectively. Supporting all of us is not just a funding decision, it's a commitment to safety, dignity, and justice for those experiencing domestic and family violence.
“Transparency in funding distribution, and sustained resourcing will be key to turning this commitment into meaningful change for people who are the most vulnerable.
“We are currently turning away 59 women a month who want access and need accommodation.
“We are thankful to the government for all the building projects that will house women and anyone who is homeless but without the operational funding to support the case management I believe that tenancy will fail. People who have complex needs don't just need a house, they need a full support system.”
Chief Executive Officer of Women and Children First Michelle Povah said:
“On average, we turn away ten families a week because we simply do not have the beds. Every one of those families is a real person who made the decision to leave and then had nowhere to go. Right now, Women and Children First is supporting 161 people through our specialist homelessness services.
“More than 100 of them are children, some just days old. These are kids in our refuge and transitional homes tonight, on the Northern Beaches, because there was no safe alternative. Across this entire region there is not a single appropriate crisis option for a mother with a teenage son.
“The need here is far greater than what police statistics alone will ever show. Our fellow services work alongside each other every day, and together we are telling the same story: this community deserves a fully funded response. We are grateful to have an elected representative who understands that and is willing to say it in Parliament.”
Chief Executive Officer of Mary's House Services Yvette Vignando said:
“Mary’s House Services collaborates with the Northern Beaches Women’s Shelter and Women and Children First to maximise support for women and children, including through reciprocal referral pathways.
“There is an urgent need for coordinated NSW and Commonwealth investment in comprehensive data collection on service demand. By way of example, one of our services - the Mary’s House refuge - has been operating for 10 years but it does not receive government funding and therefore data on number and demographics of the women and children who seek and receive safety there is not captured in official datasets.
“It's not feasible to draw conclusions about relative effectiveness of successive governments’ funding commitments due to differing accounting approaches, the integration of Commonwealth funding, and the absence of a consistent baseline for comparison, particularly in the context of rapidly rising workforce costs and escalating service demand. However, across Sydney’s northern suburbs and the northern beaches, current capacity for crisis accommodation and specialist domestic and family violence support does not even come close to meeting demand."
On National Domestic and Family Violence Remembrance Day we pause to remember the women and children whose lives have been taken by family and domestic violence, and we hold in our thoughts the families, friends and communities forever changed by this loss.
This is a day of remembrance. It is also a reminder of why prevention matters.
Violence against women is not inevitable. It can be prevented when we challenge the attitudes, behaviours and systems that allow disrespect, control and inequality to continue.
Today, we remember those we have lost. And we recommit to the work of creating safer, more respectful communities for every woman and child.
Without support, without somewhere to run to, someone to turn to, the cycle continues, for them, and for their children.
The Mission remains: A world where all women and families impacted by domestic abuse and trauma are supported to recover and thrive.
Domestic and family violence support
If you are in an emergency or at immediate risk of harm to yourself or others, contact emergency services on Triple Zero (000).
You have a right to be safe. Domestic and family violence is never okay – there is no excuse. If you feel unsafe, reach out.
The NSW Domestic Violence Line is always here for you. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Call: 1800 656 463
- TTY (Type and Listen): 1800 67 14 42
- Translating and Interpreting Services: 13 14 50
Domestic Violence Legal Advice Line - Call 1800 810 784 for specialist legal service for women experiencing domestic and family violence in NSW.
Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Program - Call 1800 938 227 for free support services for women experiencing domestic and family violence anywhere in NSW.
Women’s Legal Contact Line - Call 1800 801 501 to speak with a community legal centre offering free legal support to women across NSW.