Louise Webber has been helping women subjected to abuse in Taree and Forster for more than 10 years. 

As a coordinator for the Mid North Coast Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service, Ms Webber helps women in need of protection obtain an apprehended violence order.

In the vast majority of cases, women have been attacked by either a current or former partner. 

In the last 12 months the service has helped 727 women affected by domestic violence on the Mid North Coast and 342 clients get a final apprehended domestic violence order.

Ms Webber says while the Taree refuge does have services available – the Great Lakes is still in need of its own refuge or crisis accommodation as vulnerable women should not be expected to travel to Taree to receive help. 

“It’s very difficult for women locally. It’s not unusual for women to decline assistance because it’s not practical – literally because of the distance between the two towns,” Ms Webber explains. 

“Ideally a women’s refuge or a similar service, I do think it’s needed. It would be great to be able to refer women to one place.”  

Ms Webber recalls a situation where a woman with four children had no choice but to return to a violent and abusive relationship because the refuge in Taree was at capacity and her crisis accommodation wasn’t suitable.

“The woman was put in a motel with her four infants for several days. She had no cooking or washing facilities and was trying to put four babies to bed plus trying to access housing and Centrelink. She was inevitably going to put her hand up and say ‘I’m going home.’

“She technically wasn’t ‘turned away’ but how realistic is that? 

“There is crisis accommodation but it is often very hard to access. When women are at a point where they want to leave the service tends to let them down.”

Alarming statistics now show that at least two women are killed each week by domestic violence and 125,000 domestic violence incidents are reported to NSW police each year. 

Ms Webber said the statistics should be enough to change society’s views on the issue. 

“I don’t think the community as a whole gets it,” Ms Webber said. 

“We’re talking about women in trauma who are in crisis with no support around them, often no access to cash and they might have several children they are trying to care for.

“There is so much victim blaming that occurs. Women are blamed for not leaving but people don’t realise all the factors involved. We need to change this way of thinking and ask the question: why did he do it?” 

Ms Webber will attend a community meeting at Club Forster next month to discuss what service options are available for the Great Lakes. 

She said it isn’t as simple as handing the keys to a house over to women in need; support options need to be explored in depth.