Kempsey is being directly targeted in Labor’s $158 million plan to address domestic, family and sexual violence in New South Wales.
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Country Labor candidate for Cowper Susan Jenvey said the level of funding Labor has announced will go a long way to improving domestic violence services in the area.
"This level of funding to restore the sector is unprecedented. It’s a serious injection of money that will be worked through on an area by area basis," she said.
"Domestic, family and sexual violence requires an integrated response across government and community sector providers.
"Last year, myself and Jenny Aitchison, Shadow Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, consulted with the community sector working in domestic violence in Kempsey, Taree and Nambucca."
As a result, a comprehensive package has been produced by Labor to tackle domestic, family and sexual violence.
Labor is guaranteeing that it will restore the $20 million in funding that was slashed from women's specialist domestic violence services.
"Where we have been told there is capacity for more services in the community such as in Kempsey, then there will be more money in the sector to deliver outcomes," Ms Jenvey said.
Labor will provide an additional 200 specialist beds in priority areas, including: Kempsey, North Coast Penrith, Goulburn, Taree, Bega and on the South Coast.
Labor is committed to keeping everyone in our community safe from domestic, family and sexual violence. Labor will develop new prevention approaches as well as supporting victim-survivors to access health, housing and justice services and rebuild their lives.
As part of its plan Labor will also:
- Provide additional funding for 29 specialist case workers in Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services;
- Provide additional funding for 19 specialist case workers in Women’s Health Centres;
- Invest an additional $1.7 million per year in the NSW Rape Crises Centre for sexual assault and trauma counselling;
- Make the Premier’s Department responsible for domestic, family and sexual violence in NSW;
- Deliver an annual domestic, family and sexual violence budget and accountability statement;
- Have the Premier deliver an annual statement on the Government’s progress during 16 Days of Activism to Eliminate Violence Against Women;
- Establish an expert committee to review responses to domestic, family and sexual violence across NSW, in its first term;
- Establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Advisory Group;
- Deliver age-appropriate school-based strategies and develop Respectful Relationships Education; and
- Review existing perpetrator behavior change interventions.
