Harriet Shing, Member for Eastern Victoria Region welcomed funding to cut local waiting lists for support services helping children and adults who have experienced sexual assault.

Gippsland Centre Against Sexual Assault Inc. has received an additional $145,000 to help it deliver services for an extra 88 people this year. The funding will ensure waiting lists for children and young people are addressed first.

The funding is part of the Andrews Labor Government’s $16 million Family Violence Fund, established to respond to increased demand for services as a result of the Royal Commission into Family Violence.

Sexual assault support services provide crisis care responses, counselling, casework, group-work, advocacy and a statewide after-hours telephone crisis service for children, young people and adults who have experienced recent or past sexual assault.

Agencies also provide community awareness, education and professional consultation services that work towards the prevention and early identification of sexual assault.

In its first budget the Andrews Labor Government announced an $81.3 million package to boost family violence services, including the establishment of Australia’s first Royal Commission into Family Violence.

The Royal Commission is due to hand down its findings in March 2016.

Quotes attributable to Ms Harriet Shing:

“This vital funding boost will help to address the Latrobe Valley and district waiting lists for children and young people to ensure they can access services as soon as possible.”

“Gippsland Centre against Sexual Assault offers invaluable support for local residents in times of terrible trauma – we are committed to helping this service to continue this valuable work in our community.”

“We are helping address the scourge of sexual assault and family violence.”