Nambucca Valley councillor pushes for more crisis housing to help combat family violence

Nambucca Valley Council will push for more crisis accommodation and support for victims of domestic, sexual and family violence following calls for urgent funding to address a critical support shortage in the region.

Councillor raises her hand: As a survivor of family violence, Nambucca Valley Councillor Dr Ljubov Simson says “it’s time to break the silence.”

When Simson moved to the valley more than four years ago, she noticed what she felt was a narrative around the root causes of crime that needed shifting. 

With her lived experience, previous work in the inclusion, diversity and equity space and now a platform in local government, Simson said she was eager to advocate for critical crisis accommodation and frontline workers in the area.

More crisis accommodation needed: Simson told the Mid North Coaster there’s a gap in crisis accommodation that needs to be filled in the region. She is pushing state and federal members for further funding to make this happen.

At the October 15 council meeting, Simson put forward a motion that would push council to:

• Contact state and federal ministers for support and guidance.

• Promote prevention initiatives such as the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month

• Further explore its role as a community leader in addressing gender-based, domestic and family violence.

Councillors agreed to pass the motion.

​​🗣️”Advocating for crisis accommodation is actually the biggest challenge for our community,” Simson told the Mid North Coaster. “Because if you cannot immediately support people in crisis, they potentially go back into that cycle.” 

• “People are crying out for support, because they are thinking ‘far out, we don't have anything in place to support this’”. 

Cycle of crime: Simson lamented the rates of domestic and sexual violence-related crimes in the area and is concerned it has been accepted “as part of our community structure here.”

• “So how do we work together to acknowledge that we have an issue in relation to domestic, family, sexual violence, because that really sets up the cycle of crime that we see throughout our community,” said Simson.

What next: Following the motion, Nambucca Council will advocate to state member Michael Kemp MP and federal minister Pat Conaghan for funds to be made available through the Core and Cluster program. It will also write to NSW Premier Chris Minns and NSW Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison.

• The council will enquire about other federally-funded programs, like the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children as well as contacting the Anglicare Crisis Support Program to explore options for safe-housing.

• Council is currently working with police on the establishment of a community safety Precinct Committee to raise community safety concerns.

• Finally, a report will be tabled to Council on the prevention of gender-based, domestic and family violence.

The annual ​​16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is running from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to December 10 (International Human Rights Day).

Visit https://whiteribbon.org.au/helplines/ for support helplines, or call 24-hour counselling line 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Thumbnail: (L)Councillor Dr Ljubov Simson (R) Nambucca Valley Council Chambers. Credit: Nambucca Valley Council website.