North East pitches its case

A $29.5m proposal to open specialist family violence court and legal services to Wangaratta is set to be put before government officials ahead of next month's election. Local legal, community and family safety organisations have recently banded together to push for Victoria's 15th Specialist Family Violence Court to be opened in the North East, with a formal proposal to be put before Attorney–General Jaclyn Symes and Family Violence Prevention Minister Ros Spence for consideration. Headed by Wangaratta–based state MP Tania Maxwell, the Centre Against Violence and Hume Riverina Community Legal Service, an advisory panel made up of local government officials, women's health advocates and victim survivors met four weeks ago to establish the proposition. Crime Statistics Agency data to June 30 showed the number of family incidents exceeded the state average by 82.1pc in Benalla, in 52.3pc in Wodonga and 50.2pc in Wangaratta in the year to June 30. The advisory panel wants a court 15 to provide services for North East families, victim survivors and perpetrators, after the 2016 Royal Commission into Family Violence recommended the development of 14 'headquarter courts' to deal with family incident and violence cases. Ms Maxwell also sought a Parliamentary Budget Office costing for the proposal which estimated $19.8m for the specialist court and $9.7m for the legal aid office in financial years 2023–2026. "The panel has set out a compelling case for the new court and legal aid office in a proposal that I'm sending today to Victorian Attorney–General Jaclyn Symes and Family Violence Prevention Minister Ros Spence," Ms Maxwell said. "It sets out the key reasons why a specialist family violence court is sorely needed in the North East. "These include increasing safety for victim survivors, ensuring better support for them at court, providing magistrates with different powers to act, requiring a higher level of perpetrator accountability, delivering targeted support for them, and raising awareness about family violence and its impact, with a strong message to the community that family violence is being seriously addressed." Centre Against Violence chief executive officer Jaime Chubb said it was important systems and services in place didn't add to the trauma, shame and stigmatisation that victim survivors experience. "Specialised legal processes and services would prevent this and lead to safer, more effective and more just outcomes for everyone," Ms Chubb said. "The development of the states 15th specialist family violence court in our region would align to the new national plan to eradicate gender–based violence that was released on Monday. Prevention, system enhancement, and trauma informed services were all prioritised in the plan." According to Gateway Health general manager health and wellbeing Alana Pund, an 18.42 per cent increase in the number of affected family members in Hume region between 2016 and 2021 was evidence of a rapidly growing need in the local area. "This demand is also reflected in current waitlists and response times in the current court systems," she said. "A specialist court will provide important services for our region – enhanced presence of the justice system in the local area will send a strong message to the community that legal rights matter, and that family violence is being addressed seriously. "It will also contribute to awareness around family violence and how people experiencing family violence can seek support."