CWA calls for action on rural crime domestic violence and 24-hour policing in the bush.

The Country Women’s Association 2024 conference, held in Coffs Harbour. Image: CWA NSW.

By Krista Schade

Members of the Country Women’s Association (CWA) of NSW have endorsed more than 25 motions across sectors such as health, law and order, education, transport and the environment at the recent conference in Coffs Harbour.

The motion of urgency on the need for more action on rates of domestic and family violence was the first item of business considered by conference delegates and was passed unanimously. The motion includes a call for an amendment to the NSW Bail Act to change the presumption of bail provisions to a default against bail for domestic and family violence offences; prioritisation of sustainable funding models for frontline victim support services – and services that target perpetrator risk factors - to ensure stability and continuity in funding for these services; and the expediting of the establishment of a real-time system to record, track, and share information on perpetrators across systems and jurisdictions.

The Hillston branch for CWA called for funding support or rental subsidies for educators working in early childhood centres in remote, rural and regional locations and the continuation and extension of the Preschool Drive Subsidy Pilot Program for remote families.

Some of the other motions carried at this year’s conference include advocacy on:

• Urgent action around bush fire mitigation and management of government-controlled land.

• A transparent, publicly-available water ownership register and the mandating of the registration of elected Members’ interest and foreign investment in water.

• The provision of adequate funding for licensed teachers to provide swimming and water safety skills lessons to primary school students.

• A review of Triple Zero call centre procedures/tools to help with the determination of the locations of callers.

• The banning of heading of the football by children under the age of 16 when training or playing football, and promoting education around the effects of concussion and sub-concussion in sport.

• The addition or retrofitting of public toilets with adult disabled changing facilities.

• Federal Government adoption of the recommendations made by the Senate Inquiry into the barriers to consistent, timely and best practice assessment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and support services for children, adolescents and adults with ADHD and/or autism.

• A reduction in the minimum eligible age to take part in the free National Bowel Cancer Screening Program to at least 45.

• Ways of supporting providers of affordable accommodation in NSW for the growing number of homeless older women, particularly in regional, rural and remote areas.

• The mandatory regulation of sporting broadcasts to prohibit any form of marketing, advertising or sponsorship promotion of alcohol.

• Additional funding for local councils for the maintenance, repair and upgrade of school bus routes.

• Urgent and immediate action to establish 24-hour policing in all larger regional, rural and remote shires.

About 700 members are attending this year’s conference and State President Joy Beames said the diversity in the motions once again highlighted the variety of concerns from communities across NSW.

“The increasing rates of crime in rural and regional locations has also been of enormous concern to the association and our members and this is reflected in several motions that came before the conference this year,” Ms Beames said.

“We also hosted a rural and regional crime panel where members heard a number of different perspectives on the issue and which reinforced the need for ongoing advocacy for country communities that are experiencing a real crisis when it comes to crime rates and impacts on victims.”