A RECOMMENDATION from the Royal Commission into Family Violence to provide additional funding for family violence services will help address increasing demands to support rural victims, according to a regional support agency.
The Victorian Government will implement all 227 recommendations stemming from the commission’s report, tabled in Parliament last Wednesday.
Family violence is more common in regional and rural areas, with offences 65 per cent higher per capita compared to metropolitan Melbourne.
There were 154 reported incidents of family violence in the year to December 31, 2015, compared to 98 in 2011, in the Shire of Gannawarra, according to Crime Statistics Agency.
The Royal Commission has recommended that a Statewide Family Violence Action Plan give priority to Victorians living in rural, regional and remote communities.
In addition, the government will establish 17 safety hubs, including in regional areas to boost early intervention services and provide more specialist family violence services within courts.
Mallee Sexual Assault Unit and Domestic Violence Services chief executive officer, Joanne Sheehan-Paterson said it was important the recommendations addressed a systems overview, risk assessment and management, and the “dire” need for information sharing between key stakeholders in relation to intervening to prevent the incidents.
“We welcome the report and the findings, and welcome the opportunity to work to implement the recommendations with government and the service sector in the Mallee,” she said.
“Society and the community can work with the sector in challenging gender inequality, and change cultural acceptance of family violence. Education across the ages, from a very early age is critical in changing attitudes toward family violence.”
As part of the recommendations, there will be a housing blitz for women in crisis, and more resources for schools to teach the next generation about respectful relationships.
Northern District Community Health Service chief executive officer, Tricia Currie said her organisation is committed to continuing to work with the community to change the culture around violence against women.
“Our initial response is to welcome the report and its recommendations as a path is set for a cultural shift in how family violence is understood by the community, and especially how it is identified, managed and treated in all areas,” she said.
“So much more needs to be done to better support the victims of family violence. The Royal Commission has shown that the systems in place fall short of providing for the safety of many women and children.”
Ms Currie said Northern District Community Health Service has a priority commitment to primary prevention in promoting good mental health and wellbeing.
“Freedom from violence is a key element of this approach. Education in awareness of domestic violence and challenging the attitudes and behaviours underpin this,” she said.
“The recommendations will take a big investment and we must commit as a society to seeing it through. No-one can create the change on their own, we must work together.”
Other recommendation include additional specialist investigative and intelligence police resources, safe waiting rooms and the capacity for victims to give remote evidence.
Member for Northern Victoria, Steve Herbert said victims will be put at the heart of the reform.
“We need lasting generation reform that will give victims and survivors the help they need. We will not ignore them any longer.”
