Domestic Violence is still on the rise in Clarence Valley, NSW

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), October 2008 to September 2018, Assault - domestic violence related, Clarence Valley Local Government Area

Statistically significant Upward trend over the 120 month period. The average annual percentage change was: 4.6%

Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service NSW Inc. (WDVCAS NSW), media release, excerpt, 19 June 2019:

'We care about women who have experienced domestic and family violence and their access to justice. Our work saves lives every day,’ says Renata Field, Director of WDVCAS NSW, the peak body representing the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services. ‘One of the Premier’s Priorities notes that “Domestic Violence has no place in our society”, yet the 2018 NSW budget has given us no additional funding to support the more than 43,000 women we work with each year.’

Domestic violence services are vastly underfunded in NSW compared to other Australian jurisdictions[1]. WDVCAS services have experienced a 104% increase in clients in the last 5 years, with only a 18.5% funding increase. The NSW Domestic Violence Death Review Team Annual Report of 2017 highlights the need for additional supports for women attending court.

BOCSAR statistics show an increase in DV related assaults and an increase in the number of domestic violence protection orders issued in NSW (ADVOs). With community concern about the issue at an all-time high following high level publicity from the #metoo movement, the death of women and children in our communities and the 2015 Australian of the year, Rosie Batty, the NSW government should be leading the way to fund specialist domestic violence services such as the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services.