Victoria funds Aboriginal-led projects to prevent family violence

Victoria will provide $1.4 million to Aboriginal-led initiatives aimed at preventing family violence, with funds distributed across 29 projects during the next 12 months.

The announcement by Minister Melissa Horne, advances a prevention-first approach centred on community leadership and cultural safety.

Key Points

Aboriginal leadership anchors prevention funding

The State Government named recipients of the 2025/26 Aboriginal Community Initiatives Fund, with individual grants of up to $100,000. The government frames the fund as a targeted investment in primary prevention and early intervention, delivered by Aboriginal-led organisations to support healthy, respectful relationships and reduce family violence.

“Every woman and child deserves to feel safe – that means investing in prevention before violence begins,” Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Melissa Horne said.

“If we want to drive down family violence, we must back Aboriginal-led programs to get the best results.”

According to the government, Victoria is strengthening prevention and response measures with a sustained investment of more than $4 billion and by implementing all 227 recommendations from the Royal Commission into Family Violence. The Aboriginal Community Initiatives Fund is positioned within that broader reform effort, directing resources to community-defined priorities.

Respectful relationships

The 29 projects funded in 2025/26 include initiatives focused on cultural identity, mentorship, respectful relationships, and the social and emotional wellbeing of men, fathers, and carers. The aim is to prevent harm before it occurs while providing culturally safe pathways for support.

• Strong Women, Safe families – primary prevention, early intervention and culturally safe responses to family violence through community connection
• Junior University Camp – building on students’ life skills, knowledge and confidence through a respectful relationships program
• VACSAL ACM West Families Program – community program for Aboriginal fathers and carers with service providers to build healthy relationships
• Wathaurong Boxing – strengthening cultural identity, changing behaviours through structured routine and mentorship
• Men’s Group – focus on supporting Aboriginal men’s social, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing

Aligned with Dhelk Dja commitments

The projects are aligned with Dhelk Dja: Safe Our Way – Strong Culture, Strong Peoples, Strong Families, a landmark agreement developed in partnership with Aboriginal communities across Victoria and endorsed by the Koori Caucus and the Dhelk Dja Partnership Forum. This framework emphasises self-determination and community leadership in preventing and responding to family violence.

“The strongest programs to support Aboriginal communities are those that are led by Aboriginal communities,” Minister for First Peoples Ros Spence said.

Program design highlights culturally informed strategies—such as community connection, mentorship, and identity-strengthening activities—that seek to interrupt cycles of harm. These approaches prioritise local knowledge, provide safe spaces for men and fathers to engage in healing and accountability, and build confidence and life skills among young people through respectful relationships education.

Scope, accountability, and next steps

The government has claimed Victoria is leading the nation in its response to family violence, underscored by the scale of investment and the implementation of the Royal Commission’s recommendations. Within that context, the Aboriginal Community Initiatives Fund provides a discrete, annual vehicle to resource Aboriginal-led organisations to deliver prevention and early intervention activities tailored to community needs.

Across the 2025/26 funding round, the $1.4 million allocation will be shared among 29 initiatives, each receiving up to $100,000. Projects identified in this round encompass community-based programming for fathers and carers, structured physical and mentorship activities that reinforce cultural identity and behavioural change, and safe, culturally grounded supports for women and families.

Youth-focused components concentrate on life skills and confidence-building, with respectful relationships curricula woven through camp-based learning.

More information is available at vic.gov.au/aboriginal-cif.