By Danielle Wheeler and Dr. Amanda Cohn

Domestic and family violence is a complex, whole-of-community problem that demands responses from all levels of government. This must include local government – the level of government that is closest to the communities it serves. Greens councillors across NSW are leading the way on action on domestic and family violence.

Councils must respond to family and domestic violence within the services they already provide. We can provide buildings and community rooms at no or peppercorn rent to service providers and community organisations. In 2016, Hawkesbury City Council gave the only local DV service free rent, following a Greens motion. This allowed the service to stay open an extra half-day a week. Community rooms are free in the central library building.

Accommodation for pets often delays or prevents victim-survivors seeking safety. Local councils often run animal shelters and work closely with rescue groups. Free temporary accommodation for pets and larger animals like horses is another way councils can help people seeking safety.

Local councils play a critical role in housing supply. Councillors can call for increased affordable housing in their council’s planning documents – Inner West, Campbelltown and Parramatta all provide working examples of how this can be done. Provision of crisis accommodation, homelessness services and compassionate treatment of people who are homeless are all roles councils take on when state and federal governments fail.

Local councils are well placed to take on leadership roles, supporting the expansion of effective work where it is already happening, and facilitating coordinated action between sectors. Albury City Council has supported the Love Bites respectful relationships program to be delivered to local young people. Its Crime Prevention Officer has directly supported and assisted the annual Step Out Against Violence survivor-led community march, and set up a web page to collate and promote the work of our local family violence service providers. As Deputy Mayor of Albury, Amanda chairs the Border Domestic Violence Network, a grassroots network of service providers and community members with lived experience of family violence who meet monthly to collaborate on community responses to and prevention of family violence in the region. Albury City Council also supports the network with secretarial and administrative support. Recent successes include educating local media outlets on responsible reporting of domestic violence incidents, and successful establishment of a men’s behaviour change program in Albury. As a survivor of domestic and family violence, Danielle uses her experience to speak to community groups and service providers at council-run interagency events and in Council, and MCs the annual Reclaim the Night march.

Greens councillors continue to influence NSW legislation. Councils are large organisations that employ a significant number of people. In 2019, Greens councillors on Randwick Council brought in a policy of 10 days paid domestic violence leave for all staff. Following a strong campaign from the United Services Union, in 2020 the NSW Local Government Award was varied to include up to 10 days paid leave for all council staff experiencing family and domestic violence. This is a strong example to set for other employers.

In 2021, following a Greens motion, Hawkesbury Council was successful in getting peak organisation Local Government NSW to agree to lobby the NSW State Government to criminalise coercive control, a pervasive and very dangerous form of domestic violence implicated in the majority of domestic homicides. This directly supports the work of Greens MLC Abigail Boyd.

One woman per week, on average, is killed by a current or former partner in Australia. Action on domestic violence should be part of every local government campaign. What are your local candidates doing to make sure your council plays its part in responding to this tools-down national crisis?

Danielle Wheeler is a councillor in Hawkesbury City.

Amanda Cohn is Deputy Mayor of Albury City.