The Federal Government is putting up new funds to monitor domestic violence offenders with GPS technology. 

The government has set up a $20 million fund for states and territories to trial electronic monitoring of high-risk and persistent family and domestic violence offenders based on Tasmania’s award-winning Project Vigilance. 

In 2017, the Commonwealth committed $1.4 million to support the Tasmanian Government trial of bilateral electronic monitoring.

Advocates say the system not only monitors offenders but also enhances victim-survivor protection by creating exclusion and buffer zones based on the live location of the victim-survivor, which is monitored in real time using GPS tracking devices.

The evaluation of the trial demonstrated a 76 per cent decrease of high-risk incidents, 81 per cent reduction of threats, 100 per cent decrease in reports of stalking and that 80 per cent of offenders did not re-offend in six months following the removal of the electronic monitoring device.

The evaluation of Tasmania’s Project Vigilance is available in PDF form, here. 

The new fund is part of a broader, technology-focused package to keep women and children safe.

It includes $54.6 million to support up to 30,000 victim-survivors to stay safe in their own homes through security assessments and upgrades including cameras, bug sweeps and safe phones. 

There is also $26.6 million for online safety initiatives including supporting the eSafety Commission to set up a team of experts who will provide victim-survivors practical and personalised support to address technology-facilitated abuse through referrals from counselling services.