A community call to action.
WELLINGTON FAMILY and Domestic Violence Collective (WFDVC) in partnership with the Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies (ACWA) is calling for urgent investment in local crisis accommodation so women, children and families experiencing domestic and family violence (DFV) can remain safe without being forced to leave their community.
Wellington is one of many regional communities across NSW where there is no dedicated crisis accommodation for people escaping DFV.
As a result, families are often forced to relocate far from their cultural connections, schools, extended family and support networks. This displacement increases trauma and instability for children, who are already living with the impacts of violence.
ACWA’s Director of Family Preservation and Safety, Carolyn Thompson, said the lack of local options leaves families at risk.
“We have spoken to Wellington women who have been impacted by DFV and the need is clear,” she said.
“Women and children deserve emergency accommodation in their own community where they can stay connected to family, culture and support.
No one should have to choose between safety and staying in the place they call home.”
Data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistic and Research (BOCSAR) shows that rates of DV related assault per capita are higher in rural and remote areas.
In Wellington these assaults occurred at 3.7 times the state average between July 2024 and June 2025.
At a statewide level, around 2500 DV incidents are reported to police every month, with underreporting meaning the true number is far higher.
WFDVC chairperson, Grant Connolly, said the absence of crisis accommodation places families in unacceptable danger.
“Families in Wellington deserve better than this. Access to safe crisis accommodation within the community should be a basic human right. Without it, we are putting women and children at risk every day,” Mr Connolly said.
The Need
The partnership between WFDVC and ACWA calls for:
• Capital and operating funding for crisis accommodation in Wellington.
• A community led model that supports cultural connection, stability and safety.
• Collaboration between Homes NSW, DCJ, and local services to design a fit for purpose solution.
• Integrated supports that link housing, family services and violence prevention.
A community wide call to action
This partnership urges all levels of government, local services, private enterprise and the broader Wellington community to work together to deliver safe local crisis accommodation.
Women, children and families should not have to leave their community to find safety.
People are being asked to sign the petition to call the government to action.
The partnership is lobbying the State Government for emergency housing for DV victims in the Wellington area.
You can find copies of the petition at Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service, Ben’s Tyres, The Duck Stop, Monkey On The Wire and Jespresso Coffee Co.