Townsville DV support organisations stretched to limit

On the front line in the battle against domestic violence, a Townsville organisation is stretched to their limit addressing the crisis.

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TOWNSVILLE organisations helping domestic violence victims and rehabilitating perpetrators are stretched to their limit and in desperate need of extra funding.

Chief executive of North Queensland Domestic Violence Resource Service (NQDVRS), Mandy Thompson said their not-for-profit organisation had operated on the front line in the battle against domestic violence for the past 27 years.

Employing 25 people, NQDVRS aims to provide a range of crisis intervention, face-to-face assistance and group programs for victims and perpetrators of domestic and family violence.

She said they helped 737 individual clients in their crisis counselling intake program in the first quarter of this year, and even more in their children’s counselling service, court support program, various other services, and their work with perpetrators.

North Queensland Domestic Violence Resource Centre CEO Mandy Thompson addresses a public forum on 'Understanding violence against women and how to prevent it'. Pic: Supplied.

Domestic and family violence can be physical acts of violence, abusive acts of yelling, swearing and put downs, manipulation and threats.

“For the quarter that finished the 31st of March this year, our service was 130 per cent capacity over our funding, so we provided a service to 30 per cent more people than we’re required to by our funding,” Ms Thompson said.

“That’s done by our staff and provided by our service because we’re not going to turn people away.

“I think that’s an indication of the levels of demand that services are facing.”

She called on the government to increase funding for their services in order to tackle Townsville’s DV problem.

“We need to have adequate resources. Our service is funded to only provide service between 8.30am and 4.30pm, Monday to Friday,” she said.

“Domestic violence doesn’t occur in businesses hours. It occurs at all times of the day and night, particularly on weekends and we would like to be able to provide support to people when they need it.”

The sector has called on the federal government to not cease the additional funding allocated last year during the Covid crisis.

DV forum attendees Di Plumb from The Women's Centre Townsville; Jean Morton from the North Queensland Women's Legal Service; Senator Larissa Waters; Mandy Thompson from the North Queensland Domestic Violence Resource Centre; and Aaminah Khan from the Townsville Greens branch. Pic: Supplied.

“We’ve seen that demand sustained since then, and we’re going to be having to put staff off across the state and across multiple services when that funding runs out,” she said.

“It’s a really complex problem and we’re finding that the levels of complexity are increasing, levels of severity and violence are increasing, and which is why we’re calling on government for funding for us to provide more support.

“There are no safe exits for women who need to leave – the lack of adequate housing is at a critical level.”

Addressing forums and events held around the city to mark Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, she emphasises that every victim was a person, not a statistic.

“I think people hear us talking about these issues but don’t understand the scale of the problem,” she said.

Ms Thompson wanted to see stronger enforcement of the DV protection orders, with the actual punishment enforced against those unwilling to follow the rule of law.

“We would just love the community attitudes to change so that we all of us, women, men and children can live in safe, violence-free community,” she said.

In their latest budget, the Federal Government announced a new, two-year National Partnership Agreement in which the Australian Government will provide up to $261.4 million to partner with states and territories to boost local frontline services and trial new initiatives during the transition to the next National Plan.

States and territories will be asked to contribute funding to the agreement reflecting their primary role and responsibilities in the delivery of frontline services.

READ MORE: Governments united against domestic violence

 Call 000 if you are in danger. 

For a 24 hour Domestic Violence Helpline, contact DVCONNECT on 1800 811 811 or 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Originally published as Townsville DV support organisations stretched to limit