00:00It's meant to help domestic violence victims in a time of crisis but calls to Queensland's
00:07DV Connect aren't being answered. These figures were astounding, they were frightening because
00:13every unanswered call represents a victim survivor that wasn't getting the support that
00:18they need. According to a new independent report, abandoned calls to the helpline climbed 388%
00:26from July 2023 to March this year. Every victim deserves their call to be answered when they
00:33are seeking help. In some of these circumstances, it could have been a life-threatening situation.
00:38In October 2024, at its peak, less than 60% of calls were answered. The average waiting time for
00:46callers to Women's Line that month was 21 minutes, but the average time for those who gave up waiting
00:52was almost 13. Our aspiration is we want to answer every call of someone who calls us.
00:58The report also raises rostering issues, pointing out in December 2023, DV Connect staff only worked
01:0657% of the hours they'd been rostered or expected to work. They are answering calls for people in
01:13crisis and assisting them to get to safety. That is demanding and hard work and it's relentless.
01:19The Minister says things are turning around, with 73% of calls answered in recent months.
01:2673% is still not good enough for me. We have a long way to go.
01:30We take the report recommendations really seriously. You know, we will review them.
01:35At Parliament today, budget estimates wrapped up after two weeks of hearings. The government also announced
01:40it had reached an in-principle agreement to give firefighters an 8% pay rise over three years.
01:46We were able to get something that's respectful for firefighters.
01:51The deal includes allowances and an adjustment to take into account electric vehicle and battery fires.
01:58The smoke that actually comes from those batteries is highly toxic, so there is an increased risk.
02:04It's not a done deal yet. The final step is sign-off from union members.
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