Womens safety program | Coffs Coast News | Local News in Coffs Coast

DON’T DO IT: 290 domestic violence orders were issued on the Coffs Coast in the past six months.

WARRINA Women’s Refuge co-ordinator Charlotte Young said she was disappointed Coffs Harbour had missed out on the new Staying Home Leaving Violence program funding announced this week.

Kempsey is the only centre in the region which has received funding under the $4.5 million expansion of the NSW Government Community Services program, which helps woman and children to escape domestic violence while remaining safely in the family home.

Staying Home Leaving Violence, which was initially rolled out to six sites last year, has been so successful it has now been expanded to a further 10 communities, including Kempsey. Each site will receive $450,000 over three years.

Ms Young, whose organisation took over management of the Kempsey Domestic Violence Service last year, said the Kempsey-Macksville court had provided women with 231 apprehended domestic violence orders in the past six months, compared to 290 in the Coffs Harbour, Bellingen and Grafton area.

“The main reason for women coming here (Warrina Women’s Refuge) is domestic violence,” Ms Young said.

“We could have serviced Grafton and Kempsey from the facilities we have here.

“We run women’s domestic violence court advocacy services from Grafton to Kempsey and we have five days a week service in Kempsey which provides assistance to women escaping domestic violence.”