“DON’T ABANDON WESTERN SYDNEY NOW”: PLEA FROM BLACKTOWN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICE PROVIDER AND NATIONAL PEAK BODY TO NSW GOVERNMENT

Relationships Australia NSW (RANSW) and No to Violence – the national peak body for the men’s family violence sector – have issued a desperate plea to the NSW Treasurer to provide bridging funding for three Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) services in Blacktown.

The services will close by 30 June unless the NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey urgently intervenes.

The three services include two Men’s Behaviour Change Programs, which help men to stop using violence in their relationships, and an elder abuse early intervention program.

RANSW CEO Elisabeth Shaw said the situation was incredibly distressing given the recent DFV-related deaths in NSW.

“We see media reports almost daily of DFV-related incidents and deaths, yet our services that are proven to directly address domestic violence are no longer funded. It’s heartbreaking,” Ms Shaw said.

“While we recognise that the NSW Government has inherited particular challenges, I simply cannot understand why the Government wouldn’t fix this issue immediately.

“Through this service we supported 117 people experiencing DFV since July last year in Liverpool alone, where a young woman was killed two weeks ago after alleged domestic violence.

“We have also supported 66 people over the past six years in Riverwood, where a man has been charged with killing a three-year old boy last week.

“We are one of the very few domestic violence service providers focused on changing men’s violent behaviour in the area, and I shudder to think what impact we will see in the community when we are forced to close our doors in a few weeks.

“Our message to the NSW Treasurer is simple: Don’t abandon Western Sydney now, not when the community needs us the most.”

No to Violence CEO Jacqui Watt said it was critical that the Treasurer acted now.

“On average a man chooses to kill his current or former partner every 10 days in Australia. And we know that supporting men to change their behaviour through prevention and early intervention is key to driving this figure down,” Ms Watt said.

“In our pre-election tour of NSW, No to Violence visited Blacktown and heard from services on the ground that the sector providing early intervention and Men’s Behaviour Change Programs is critically under-funded, under-resourced and under-recognised.

“It is time to recognise that we cannot stop family and domestic violence until we stop men from using violence and abuse.

“We need significant investment in prevention, early intervention and men’s behaviour change programs if we are serious about reducing – and ending – the scourge of domestic and family violence in this country.”

RANSW is one of the largest providers of counselling and family relationship services in NSW and a No to Violence member.

No to Violence is Australia’s peak body for organisations and individuals working with men that use domestic and family violence. No to Violence operates the Men’s Referral Service which speaks directly with men who are concerned about their behaviour.

Stop the cycle of violence. If you are concerned about someone using violence, call Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit mrs.org.au for advice and support.

If you or someone close to you is in immediate danger, dial 000.