Hundreds of women in Katherine escaping domestic violence will continue to have access to emergency relief if the Labor Government is elected next month.
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Almost 450 women from the region access the Katherine Women's Crisis Centre every year in need of help.
But with critical funding coming to a close by December, the service will be forced to turn people away.
Shadow assistance Minister for families and communities Jenny McAllister, was joined by Minister for Indigenous health Warren Snowdon and Northern Territory senator Malarndirri McCarthy to announce new funding.
Over the next four years, Labor has committed to providing $88,000 to the critical intervention service.
"Our view is that the cuts are unacceptable as women come here needing to make big life decisions," Ms McAllister said today at the centre where she was also joined by members of the board.
"We don't think it is reasonable they should have to make those decisions without support from services such as the Katherine Women's Crisis Centre."
The centre provides essential support to women and children, including help relocating from unstable or dangerous households, ensuring they have access to essential items such as food, and case management services.
While the funding is not quite enough to service all women in the region, it is a good start.
"Usually women come with their children and if they don't have access to these types of facilities they have to go back to where they came from," Katherine Women's Crisis Centre executive officer Jo Gamble said.
"Emergency relief funding is a very important component of our service.
"It will have a huge impact on how women make decisions."
The funding is part of a larger $40 million package for emergency relief organisations across the country.
"The charities and not-for-profits that do this work are increasingly overstretched and under-resourced," a Labor spokesman said.
"Scott Morrison and the Country Liberals are cutting funding for many emergency relief services at the end of this calendar year, including the Katherine Women's Crisis Centre.
"Labor will reverse the Country Liberals' heartless cuts to emergency relief organisations and provide a much-needed funding boost to the sector."
If elected the Labor Government has committed to supporting Australians in financial hardship by:
- Doubling the number of financial counsellors across the country.
- Expanding low-cost alternatives to pay day loans for low-income Australians, providing safe and fair credit options when things get tough.
- Reversing the Morrison Government's $5.5 million cut to emergency relief organisations across the country and providing a much-needed top up to the emergency relief sector.
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