NSW Domestic Violence: Regional legal support centres closing, turning away victims amid spike in pleas for help
Domestic violence victims are being turned away en masse from support services in regional NSW, amid pleas for more funding following the death of Molly Ticehurst.
NSW
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Cuts to domestic violence services in regional NSW are “bleeding the bush dry”, with advocates claiming a series of closures to centres assisting victims of abuse is placing at-risk women in even more harm.
Concerns over a lack of funding come amid an outcry over the circumstances surrounding the death of Forbes mum Molly Ticehurst, who was allegedly killed by her ex partner Daniel Billings after he was released on bail despite a raft of rape, stalk and intimidation charges.
Vital legal hubs assisting victims of domestic violence have closed in communities across western NSW – with one massive community legal centre servicing tens of thousands of people – announcing it will be forced to close its doors in a matter of weeks.
Wellington Domestic Violence Collective vice president Jessica Gough said widespread reduction in services across western NSW was “bleeding the bush dry”, citing a reduction in “boots on the ground” for support services.
“Legal services are stretched, educational services are stretched and support people in the community are also stretched thin,” Ms Gough said. “We need more support.”
Community Legal Centres Australia chairman Gerard Brody last month made desperate pleas to Federal Attorney General Mark Dreyfus for interim funding to keep legal support services on track.
Mr Brody revealed to The Daily Telegraph 350,000 people had been turned away from services across the country in the last financial year.
The Federal Government’s funding scheme for domestic violence support services is based on a five-year program.
Legal Aid NSW’s Domestic Violence Unit is baring the brunt of an increase in demand for its services – while other centres close their doors in regional NSW – with a massive 61 per cent uptick in the number of women seeking their services in court.
The unit has also witnessed a 36 per cent increase in calls for help over the past two year.
The latest Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research data found that there were more than 22,500 Apprehended Violence Orders breached across NSW, with specialist teams of lawyers, domestic violence case workers, mental health advisors, and financial counsellors providing assistance to victims of domestic violence.
“Twenty-five women dying to domestic violence so far this year is an epidemic which is preventable,” Legal Aid family law executive Alexandra Colquhoun said.
“A lawyer can help seek changes to an ADVO to better protect the victim or their children, or to connect them with a case worker for safety planning.”
A spokesman for Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the government recognised the pressure domestic violence services were under.
“The National Legal Assistance Partnership (NLAP) between the Commonwealth and all states and territories is a five-year agreement to fund vital legal assistance services for the most vulnerable Australians,” he said. “The current NLAP expires on 30 June 2025.
“An independent review of the NLAP to consider how future arrangements could better provide access to justice for all who need it is now being considered by federal, state and territory Attorneys-General.”
Prevention of Domestic Violence Minister Jodie Harrison told The Daily Telegraph: “we have zero tolerance for all forms of Domestic and Family Violence in NSW”.
“Everyone has the right to be safe in their own home,” she said. “Domestic and family violence is a scourge on NSW and sustained, meaningful action is required.”
In the last financial year, $417.2 million was allocated to domestic, family and sexual violence services, with the government confirming there had been no reduction in funding.
“Legal Aid NSW works closely with our partners including community legal centres and domestic violence organisations across NSW to ensure people impacted by domestic violence have access to legal support,” Ms Colquhoun said.
“The increase in demand for our Domestic Violence Unit’s hotline and duty lawyer services is attributable to a variety of factors, including the overall increase in reports of domestic violence to police particularly in regional NSW, increased awareness of domestic violence, the cost of living and housing crises, and the expansion of the Family Advocacy & Support Service (FASS) into regional NSW, through which the DVU provides duty lawyer services.”
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Originally published as NSW Domestic Violence: Regional legal support centres closing, turning away victims amid spike in pleas for help
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