Combating domestic violence in the inner west

Inner West Council will spend more than $300,000 over four years to address domestic and family violence in the inner west.

Council is partnering with local community groups, organisations, networks and key national associations to deliver programs and initiatives that have previously yielded positive results. These include the Speak Out Awareness Raising Campaign, Love Bites, the Inner West Respectful Relationship Project and White Ribbon Day.

“Domestic and family violence is actually a significant community safety issue in the inner west,” said Administrator of Inner West Council Richard Pearson. “Information provided by local Police Local Area Commands shows that in the Leichhardt area, domestic violence is the number one contributing factor to all assaults.

“In Marrickville, Police report that domestic violence is the most resource intensive category of work, with almost 40% of assaults being domestic violence related.

“These are dreadful statistics that show no one is immune. We have a wonderful community full of broad-minded, accepting people and yet domestic and family violence is a real problem. It’s not something that Council will ignore. Our constituent Councils were front and centre on this issue and Inner West Council has locked in funding for four years to consolidate this great work.

“I’m pleased and proud that we can work with local groups on innovative initiatives to help combat this problem,” Mr Pearson said.

Council will work with Leichhardt Women’s Community Health Centre, Leichhardt Marrickville Domestic Violence Liaison Committee, Inner West Domestic Violence Liaison Committee, Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville Local Area Commands, Inner West Love Bites, National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN), White Ribbon, local sporting groups, and local businesses.

The initiatives are:

• The Speak Out Awareness Raising Campaign, Council’s partnership with Leichhardt Women’s Community Health Centre to raise community awareness about respectful relationships and the prevention of domestic and family violence and the abuse of children. The campaign also provides information to assist people to access support and services.
• The Love Bites program, which funds NAPCAN to deliver training to 400 young people aged 14 – 16 years through an interactive school-based domestic, family and relationship violence and sexual assault prevention education program.
• The Inner West Respectful Relationships Project, again partnering with NAPCAN, Inner West Council has formed a community steering group to undertake community consultation and scope the development and implementation of the Inner West Respectful Relationships Project.
• White Ribbon Day, the on-going national violence prevention campaign that raises awareness among Australian men and boys about the roles they can play to prevent violence against women.