A re-elected Andrews Labor Government will support the Continuous Voices Survivors Memorial in Ballarat.

We’ll provide a $500,000 grant to help build the first Australian memorial to acknowledge all survivors of sexual violence.

The public art project will be built near the lake adjacent to Plane Avenue in Victoria Park, Ballarat.

The memorial is designed recognise the pain and trauma caused by all forms of sexual violence, as well as providing a space to support healing.

Over 50 survivors and supporters worked with Continuous Voices Community Reference Group and artists to contribute creative research that will inform the memorial design.

This builds on the Andrews Labor Government’s considerable support for victim-survivors of sexual abuse, including an additional $33.4 million investment into specialist sexual assault services.

This includes an expanded Sexual Assault Crisis Line, and interventions for children and young people displaying sexually harmful behaviours. The Government has also funded Centres Against Sexual Assault.

In response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the Labor Government are establishing a redress scheme to acknowledge the trauma of historical abuse and neglect that too many Victorian children experienced while placed in institutional care.

We are delivering significant funding to support victim survivors of sexual assault, with $14 million invested to improve the justice system response to sexual offending including forensic justice services and designing an online reporting model.

The Labor Government immediately responded to the Victorian Law Reform Commission’s report on Improving the Justice System Response to Sexual Offences, with a $5.2 million initial funding boost to specialist sexual assault services.

In 2015, the Victorian Parliament passed new laws to make it easier for victims to sue for historic abuse and the Labor Government has introduced new standards in schools for the protection of children.

Anyone impacted by sexual abuse can phone 1800 806 292 for counselling and other support services.

Quotes attributable to Labor Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison

“A re-elected Andrews Labor Government will support Ballarat’s Continuous Voices Memorial – an Australian-first public art space for all survivors of sexual abuse and facilitate healing and hope.”

“To all victims and survivors of sexual abuse – we see you, we hear you and we believe you.”