While Binaal Billa Family Violence Prevention Legal Service welcomes the federal government’s $100 million commitment to tackling domestic violence, the Forbes service is now lobbying to receive a share of the funding on offer.
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Following Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s $100 million pledge, Attorney General George Brandis announced that nearly $15 million of that funding will go towards 12 specialist units designed to help women and children access legal assistance and other services.
Dubbo was named as the location for one of these units.
The specialist units are aimed at helping survivors of domestic violence access lawyers, social workers and health professionals.
At this stage, Binaal Billa is not eligible for any of the $100 million in funding, however program coordinator Michelle Kable believes they are best placed to strategically facilitate the development of a specialised domestic violence unit in the central west.
With the support of Forbes Shire Council and Yoorana Gunya, Binaal Billa have sent a letter to the Prime Minister himself, outlining why they should receive additional funding to incorporate a specialised domestic violence unit to enhance the services they can offer.
Mrs Kable said it makes sound logical and economic sense to add onto the services they already offer as opposed to the government spending additional money by creating brand new services.
“I think any funding towards addressing domestic violence is fantastic but I think it could be used smarter to enhance existing services,” Mrs Kable said.
“With added funding we’d be able to do a lot more work and employ an additional solicitor.
“I think it’s a good thing that [the government] are investing in domestic violence...but why not utilise services that are already there and make it better?”
Mrs Kable said Forbes, Parkes and Lachlan shires, in which Binaal Billa currently provide services to, are consistently ranked in the top 20 (out of 155) for recorded domestic violence assaults by local government area in NSW.
“This ranking clearly demonstrates the prevalence of domestic violence as a substantial community issue and the need for extraordinary measures to provide ongoing support and representation to combat violence in our society,” she said.
“Binaal Billa Family Violence Prevention Legal Service can offer this government a proven cost-effective measure to implement a service model that provides a timely and all-inclusive response to combatting the continuing high incidences of domestic violence prevalent in regional and remote NSW.”
Forbes mayor Phyllis Miller fully supports Binaal Billa’s lobby for funding and encouraged them to take the issue to the Prime Minister directly.
“I think if you don’t ask, you don’t receive,” she said.
Mayor Miller said that Binaal Billa work extremely well in this region and believes it makes sense for the government to add to their service.
“I think when there’s an administration set up very well, it’s easy for the government to tag on services,” she said.
“It’s about continuity of services for domestic violence and making sure there’s enough councillors, lawyers, etc.”
