Councils across Victoria will share in almost $3 million to help them engage their communities and local businesses on the role they can play in preventing violence against women.

Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Vicki Ward today announced local councils will deliver a range of initiatives as part of the Allan Labor Government’s Free from Violence Local Government Program 2024-27.

Councils, including Greater Shepparton, Knox, Mornington Peninsula and Wodonga, will deliver programs and activities that will help people in the community understand the role they can play to make their community safer.

As large employers with unique connections to their local communities, local councils are in a perfect position to help us all prevent family violence and violence against women.

The councils will identify opportunities through council programs and services, such as community sport, early childhood services and parenting groups, to address the attitudes and behaviours that drive family violence and violence against women.

This is the second round of the program, which is already supporting 15 councils to carry out primary prevention initiatives in their local area.

Previously the Wangaratta Rural City Council received a grant to deliver workshops to more than 200 council employees, with a focus on male-dominated work groups such as depot workers and field services teams to look at how to prevent violence against women.

Delivered in partnership with Jesuit Social Services, these workshops aimed to break down harmful gender stereotypes and actively promote healthy masculinity.

While Bass Coast Shire Council partnered with Western Port Water, Bass Coast Health and Phillip Island Nature Park to deliver ‘Active Bystander’ training to their employees – which educated employees about how to safely challenge sexist attitudes in both their personal and professional lives.

These grants are part of the Labor Government’s nation-leading work to prevent family violence.