Domestic Violence NSW chair and Carrie’s Place Domestic Violence and Homelessness Services chief executive, Jan McDonald, said while government initiatives had stimulated discussion about the “crisis”, they had continuously failed to deliver the resources most desperately needed at the coalface.

“We still have people on waiting lists and we’re turning people away,” Ms McDonald said. “When we’re unable to meet this immediate need, there’s a problem with the other higher level responses. 

“Community awareness becomes problematic. It’s supporting women to be aware of domestic violence, but then when they come to contact us, we’re unable to help. It’s setting people up to fail.” The state government recently released its NSW Domestic and Family Violence Blueprint for Reform 2016-2021, which set the direction for the sector and included references to launching a fund to “support innovative crisis responses to improve victim safety and recovery” and “continuing the significant investment in social housing”.

Ms McDonald said she welcomed the document for being domestic violence specific and “addressing some things we’ve been talking about in a general sense” but said it lacked detail.

“Yes we agree about early intervention and holding the perpetrators accountable, but if we’re not first responding to every instance where a woman and child is unsafe, there’s a serious problem,” she said. “We need an increase of money and an urgent injection to happen until it is manageable.”

The Herald reported last year the region’s refuges had about 120 beds. Ms McDonald said each refuge could “easily double in size” and still not meet all the demand.

She said the five bedroom Carrie’s Place in the Maitland area could be duplicated close-by, while stand-alone refuges could also open in Cessnock and Dungog.

“We get between 10 to 20 requests each day and we’re unable to assist between one in two or one in three,” she said. “They then have to revise all the planning they have done. They may even return home. When a woman is contemplating or in the stages of leaving is when she is most at risk, it is the point where the perpetrator is about to lose control.”

A woman on a waiting list for Carrie’s Place will be referred either to another refuge, the statewide homelessness service or to temporary accommodation such as motels and caravan parks, although some choose to sleep in their cars or go to a family members or friend’s house, where they may be discovered.  “But no-one is ever guaranteed a place, we have to assess the level of need and risk,” she said. “In the meantime we may get another three or four people at higher risk. It’s like playing chess with people’s lives.”

Visit Hunter Stadium on September 3 to stand up against violence. Register: mycause.com.au/events/1000people1voice