Baird wants national victim support scheme

NSW Premier Mike Baird wants more talks around implementing victim support schemes on a national basis after a request for Sydney siege victims was denied.

NSW Premier Mike Baird

Premier Mike Baird wants Australia to do more to help refugees and says NSW is ready to do its bit. (AAP)

The NSW premier is calling for a national strategy to address the compensation scheme for victims of crime, such as those affected by the Sydney siege.

It comes after a request by the NSW government to include the victims of that siege in a $75,000 federal compensation scheme for those impacted by overseas terror attacks was dismissed.

"I think there should be a national approach to this and a national scheme and that's something we've approached the federal government about and obviously there's further discussions to be had," Mike Baird said in Sydney on Saturday.

In January, former state attorney-general Brad Hazzard asked his federal counterpart, Senator George Brandis, to extend the international compensation scheme to the Sydney siege victims.

"The attorney-general had the opportunity to raise it with her counterpart," Mr Baird said of current attorney-general Gabrielle Upton.

"We've had some discussions but more need to be had."

Mr Baird said the government is doing everything it could to support the families and victims of those held hostage by Man Haron Monis in December last year.

The NSW Liberal government reduced the cap for support for victims of crime from $50,000 to $15,000 in 2013, saying at the time it would reduce the time victims would wait to receive payments.

Mr Baird said those adjustments allow for counselling and support as families and victims need it, meaning it has the capacity for potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars to be available.

A spokesman for Senator Brandis said the Australian victims of terrorism overseas payment scheme was introduced in 2011 to provide assistance to victims of terrorism outside Australia who are not supported by state and territory schemes.

"States and territories, including NSW, are responsible for providing financial assistance and support for victims of crime, including terrorism, in their jurisdictions," the spokesman said.

"States and territories determine how much is paid to victims under these schemes."


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Source: AAP


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