Mr McCARTHY - 1998-10-08
Most of us are aware of the ongoing work attached to the Northern Territory domestic violence strategies, and the many initiatives that have taken place since its inception in 1994. Many of these appear to be centred in the greater Darwin area. I am interested in what is taking place, or might take place in the future, for Territorians in remote and isolated areas.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question, and before I answer it, can I say, as the local member for Port Darwin, I am paying very close attention to what is going on down in Cullen Bay. I look forward to the minister resolving the issue, together with the Power and Water Authority, because people down there want a solution. And they are going to get a solution. I want them to know their local member is taking a very close and abiding interest.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I thank the member for Goyder for his question in relation to the launch of the second phase of the domestic violence campaign. Before I get into the details of that campaign, can I just congratulate the staff, under the leadership of Jennie Gzik from the Office of Women’s Policy, who work on the domestic violence programs across a range of departments, and the work of the Women’s Advisory Council, in their continuing encouragement and support for this very important work.
The first evaluation of the ‘It’s Got to Stop’ campaign taken from across the Territory showed that from 82% to 91% of Territorians were able to cite the campaign themes and messages. That is very encouraging. One of the difficulties with domestic violence is a failure for people to face up to the fact that it exists, where it does exist, recognition that it is wrong and that it is a crime. The theme ‘It’s Got to Stop’ has been very, very effective.
The information available to all Territorians, no matter where they live or work, includes the initiation of regular domestic violence open forums each year at all Territory regions. So it’s not something just confined to the urban areas of Darwin and Alice Springs. A domestic violence newsletter is being produced and distributed throughout all regions. Domestic violence general and specialised information is being developed and widely distributed across the whole of the Territory through the Department of the Chief Minister, particularly the Office of Women’s Policy, including the supporting and distributing of an information kit specifically designed for rural and remote communities.
We also make available specialised seminars and training sessions, again, right across the Territory; we are designing an Internet site, at present, to provide in-depth material on domestic violence, the services and information available and key groups and contacts that people can make within the Territory. Further, the domestic violence data collection project involves services in each region so that a Territory picture, not just Darwin’s statistics, is available for guiding decision making. That’s important because we are able to highlight particular areas and particular trouble spots through that type of research. We have an occasional paper series and we have been appointing people in key support positions around the Territory, including domestic and sexual assault counsellors, specialised domestic violence legal practitioners, rural and remote domestic violence community development officers and police domestic violence liaison officers, all of whom work around the Territory with victims of crime, and also with the offenders themselves. It is a bigger picture than simply dealing with the victims. You have to deal with the perpetrators, with the offenders, if you are seriously going to address this issue.
We have also formed an indigenous family violence reference group, a sexual assault reference group, a domestic violence and children working group and a prosecution subcommittee to consult on specialised areas across the Territory. We are expanding the 24-hour Crisis Line service.
It is generally recognised around Australia that the Territory has the best coordinated, integrated and inclusive domestic violence response of any State or Territory. The material that has previously gone out will again be made available throughout the Territory. In particular, I alert members to the second It’s Got to Stop community education campaign which will be launched today, and the advertisements which were extremely powerful and designed for maximum impact. These advertisements will advance the campaign by reinforcing the risks and dangers of family members learning to use, and repeat, domestic violence between, and among, family members and generations.
Again, I congratulate the people who have worked on both the first and the second phase of this important project. They are very dedicated people, they are committed to ensuring that right across the regions, as was highlighted by the member for Goyder, throughout the Territory, we are endeavouring to reach out to the whole of the community through this campaign.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question, and before I answer it, can I say, as the local member for Port Darwin, I am paying very close attention to what is going on down in Cullen Bay. I look forward to the minister resolving the issue, together with the Power and Water Authority, because people down there want a solution. And they are going to get a solution. I want them to know their local member is taking a very close and abiding interest.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr STONE: I thank the member for Goyder for his question in relation to the launch of the second phase of the domestic violence campaign. Before I get into the details of that campaign, can I just congratulate the staff, under the leadership of Jennie Gzik from the Office of Women’s Policy, who work on the domestic violence programs across a range of departments, and the work of the Women’s Advisory Council, in their continuing encouragement and support for this very important work.
The first evaluation of the ‘It’s Got to Stop’ campaign taken from across the Territory showed that from 82% to 91% of Territorians were able to cite the campaign themes and messages. That is very encouraging. One of the difficulties with domestic violence is a failure for people to face up to the fact that it exists, where it does exist, recognition that it is wrong and that it is a crime. The theme ‘It’s Got to Stop’ has been very, very effective.
The information available to all Territorians, no matter where they live or work, includes the initiation of regular domestic violence open forums each year at all Territory regions. So it’s not something just confined to the urban areas of Darwin and Alice Springs. A domestic violence newsletter is being produced and distributed throughout all regions. Domestic violence general and specialised information is being developed and widely distributed across the whole of the Territory through the Department of the Chief Minister, particularly the Office of Women’s Policy, including the supporting and distributing of an information kit specifically designed for rural and remote communities.
We also make available specialised seminars and training sessions, again, right across the Territory; we are designing an Internet site, at present, to provide in-depth material on domestic violence, the services and information available and key groups and contacts that people can make within the Territory. Further, the domestic violence data collection project involves services in each region so that a Territory picture, not just Darwin’s statistics, is available for guiding decision making. That’s important because we are able to highlight particular areas and particular trouble spots through that type of research. We have an occasional paper series and we have been appointing people in key support positions around the Territory, including domestic and sexual assault counsellors, specialised domestic violence legal practitioners, rural and remote domestic violence community development officers and police domestic violence liaison officers, all of whom work around the Territory with victims of crime, and also with the offenders themselves. It is a bigger picture than simply dealing with the victims. You have to deal with the perpetrators, with the offenders, if you are seriously going to address this issue.
We have also formed an indigenous family violence reference group, a sexual assault reference group, a domestic violence and children working group and a prosecution subcommittee to consult on specialised areas across the Territory. We are expanding the 24-hour Crisis Line service.
It is generally recognised around Australia that the Territory has the best coordinated, integrated and inclusive domestic violence response of any State or Territory. The material that has previously gone out will again be made available throughout the Territory. In particular, I alert members to the second It’s Got to Stop community education campaign which will be launched today, and the advertisements which were extremely powerful and designed for maximum impact. These advertisements will advance the campaign by reinforcing the risks and dangers of family members learning to use, and repeat, domestic violence between, and among, family members and generations.
Again, I congratulate the people who have worked on both the first and the second phase of this important project. They are very dedicated people, they are committed to ensuring that right across the regions, as was highlighted by the member for Goyder, throughout the Territory, we are endeavouring to reach out to the whole of the community through this campaign.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016