A step in right direction

The Communities of Respect and Equality strategy was released following the Royal Commission into Family Violence, which was tabled in Parliament in March.

The move is the latest in a sequence of shire actions to prevent family violence. Last month, Prevention of Family Violence Minister Fiona Richardson visited Child and Family Services in Daylesford.

The meeting determined that an outreach service offered by WRISC Family Violence should soon be reinstated, which had been out of action for 10 months following resourcing issues.

Previously, in July last year, the council established a White Ribbon Committee, bringing together primary prevention campaigns and initiatives to raise awareness and education among the Hepburn Shire community.

Women’s Health Grampians is one of nine services to share in $660,000 from the state government to develop a strategy toward the prevention of family violence.

At last week’s council meeting, Hepburn Shire councillors resolved to support the strategy and to help increase awareness of family violence issues.

“We think it can’t be happening here but what we know from police and (support) organisations...is that it does,” Birch ward councillor Kate Redwood said.

“I’m very pleased to stand here and endorse this report and I’m very pleased to raise awareness through our community through the White Ribbon Committee.”

Creswick ward councillor Don Henderson said “we have a long way to go”, but that awareness and education “starts with us” as a community.

“It starts with everyone in the community – both men and women – and it starts in our schools and even before school when we teach our children about men and women,” he said.

Holcombe ward councillor Bill McClenaghan said it was imperative to say something when witnessing domestic violence.