New domestic violence integrated response services to be trialled in Mount Isa

A new approach to domestic and family violence services will be trialled in Mount Isa to work out the best way to respond to violence and abuse in homes across regional Queensland.

Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Shannon Fentiman and Chair of the Domestic and Family Violence Implementation Council Dame Quentin Bryce today (Friday) announced the new trial during their visit to Mount Isa for the Implementation Council meeting.

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“I am shocked and deeply saddened by the number of devastating deaths caused by domestic violence we have already seen this year,” Ms Fentiman said.

“We are facing crisis here in Queensland. One of our Government’s main priorities is tackling domestic violence across all our communities.

“Part of this effort is to ensure we are identifying high risk perpetrators early and reaching out to help victims of domestic and family violence as soon as possible.

“We need to also focus on the needs of victims of domestic and family violence from regional, rural and remote communities, who often face additional challenges.

“I am thrilled to announce that a new integrated service response model will be trialled right here in Mount Isa, which will focus on the needs of regional communities.

“This trial will bring together local service providers and agencies to co-design and develop a model for a full integrated response to domestic and family violence.

“This means that everyone with a role in keeping victims safe and holding a perpetrator to account – police, hospitals, domestic violence services, corrections staff – will be able to collaborate and work together following the same model.”

The Not Now, Not Ever report commissioned by Dame Quentin Bryce’s Special Domestic and Family Violence Taskforce recommended three integrated service response trials across Queensland – one in an urban area, one in discrete Indigenous community and one in a regional centre, as part of a long-term focus on providing the best possible support for Queenslanders impacted by domestic and family violence.

The urban trial site is being established in the Logan/Beenleigh region, while the Queensland Government was working with discrete Aboriginal communities to work out the best location for the Indigenous trial si

The Domestic and Family Violence Implementation Council has been established to monitor the implementation of the recommendations from the Not Now, Not Ever report and champion its ongoing implementation.

Council Chair Dame Quentin Bryce, who is in Mount Isa for two days visiting local organisations and domestic and family violence services, said she was pleased Mount Isa would be the regional trial site for integrated service response model.

“I have had some extremely valuable discussions with local organisations, services and individuals who work day in and day out to help victims of domestic and family violence, and we have spoken about ways we can work together to better respond to victims of domestic and family violence,” she said.

“What is vital in our response to helping victims of domestic and family violence from regional communities, is making sure programs and initiatives are appropriate for local communities and reach out to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.

“I am really pleased that Mount Isa will be a trial location for the integrated service response model so we can start working on the best way to respond to the needs of victims of domestic and family violence from remote communities in Queensland.”

Ms Fentiman recently launched the Not Now, Not Ever community awareness campaign during the lead up to next month’s Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month.

The Not Now, Not Ever campaign supports the Queensland Government’s recently released Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Strategy 2016–26.

For more information on the Government’s actions to tackle domestic and family violence in Queensland go to www.qld.gov.au/notnownotever