By Mario Xuereb
THE State Government is funding a new family violence worker at Sunshine Magistrates’ Court – weeks after pulling funding for a similar local service.
The full-time worker will counsel women seeking intervention orders at the court. Sunshine is one of three locations for the new service, which was launched by Attorney-General Rob Hulls last week.
“The service will improve access to the justice system for victims of family violence,” Mr Hulls said. “For many women, going to court to obtain an intervention order is one of the bravest things they will ever do.
“Having taken this first step to eliminate violence from their lives, it is crucial that women and their children get the help they need to navigate the court system and access support services.”
The Sunshine Court handles about 10 per cent of the family intervention orders in the state, including more than 1900 in the 2005-06 financial year.
Domestic violence is a leading contributor to death, disability and illness in Victorian women aged 15 to 44, according to recent government studies.
Geraldine Ellawala, coordinator of the Western Women’s Domestic Violence Support Network – which has lost its government funding and faces closure – welcomed the new service.
“Any new service we get in the West is greatly welcomed because of the high incidence of domestic violence we have in Brimbank.”
Ms Ellawala’s network faces closure after missing out on funding to continue its long-term support of survivors of domestic violence.
She also denied government claims her service had refused to work with other agencies and rejected offers of funding.
“The funding offered is not even equivalent to one full-time worker,” she said.
Ms Ellawala said the network had worked with and received referrals from more than 45 different agencies in the past year.
Plans to save the Western Women’s Domestic Violence Support Network from closure continued last week.
