12 November 2024
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (14:56): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question without notice to the Attorney-General on the topic of the Victims of Crime Fund.
Leave granted.
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: Earlier this year, the Adelaide Advertiser reported that the Victims of Crime Fund was holding approximately $200 million in funds even though only $16.9 million was provided in victim compensation in 2021-22. The fund is financed by fines paid by offenders and levies on offences. The current maximum compensation available for victims is $129,000. It currently costs $147,000 per year to house prisoners in South Australia. In the Netherlands, the prison population reduced by 44 per cent between 2005 and 2015 by introducing rehabilitation methods and programs that reduced recidivism. My questions to the Attorney-General therefore are:
1. What is the current amount of money in the Victims of Crime Fund?
2. Would the government consider increasing the percentage that is made available as compensation to victims and also allocating additional money to reduce offending in our state?
The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:57): I thank the honourable member for his questions. Of course, the victims of crime regime is a very important regime that provides an ability for funding to be paid to those who have suffered as a consequence of criminal offending against them.
I do not have a figure in front of me, but I think the balance stands in the order of $200 million in the Victims of Crime Fund. From memory, the amount that was paid into the scheme in the 2022-23 financial year was exceeded by the amount that was paid out of the scheme in that financial year. One of the reasons in that financial year was a further substantial contribution to the National Redress Scheme made from the Victims of Crime Fund to cover future liabilities.
I believe that in the 2023-24 financial year there were a similar number of applications made, if not a slightly higher number than the year before, and a slightly higher quantum paid out in total to victims of crime but not an amount paid for future liabilities for the National Redress Scheme. I think it is very likely, before the National Redress Scheme applications close in 2028, that further payments from the Victims of Crime Fund will be needed, which will, I suspect, in total get towards, if not exceed, a couple hundred million dollars as South Australia's contribution to that.
So whilst there is a significant balance in the Victims of Crime Fund, we have seen in recent history, in the last decade and certainly even in the last couple of financial years, tens of millions of dollars being paid out to things like the National Redress Scheme, which I suspect there will be further calls on before the National Redress Scheme accepts final applications in 2028.