Leadership and Good Governance - Reports

6.2

Ordinary Meeting - 20 January 2016

LODDON MALLEE REGIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR PREVENTING

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Document Information
Author

Steven Abbott, Manager Community Partnerships

Deb Simpson, Coordinator Connecting Communities

Responsible
Director

Pauline Gordon, Director Community Wellbeing

Summary/Purpose
For Council to become a signatory to the statement of commitment for the Loddon
Mallee Regional Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence Against Women 2016 - 2019.
Policy Context
Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities (Charter)
Local Government Authorities (LGAs) are obliged to consider the rights and
responsibilities enshrined in the Charter when they create laws, develop policies
and deliver services.
Violence against women breaches these rights and is contrary to the values of
respect, freedom, equality and dignity that underpin them.
Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008
The functions of LGAs under this Act include to seek to protect, improve and
promote public health and wellbeing within the municipal district.
Violence against women is both a public health and a wellbeing issue.
Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan
LGAs must have regard to the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan when
they prepare their Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan.
The Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2015-2019 Strategy 5 is
Preventing Violence and Injury, under which the prevention of Family Violence is a
priority area.
Council Plan Reference:
This report is consistent with Strategic Objective 1.3 within the Council Plan 2013 - 2017:
contribute to policy and strategy development being led by government and other
agencies.

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Background Information
The Loddon Mallee region
The Loddon Mallee region spans a large geographic area, extending from Mildura Rural
City in the north to Macedon Ranges Shire in the south. Due to its geographic size the
region is often divided into Northern and Southern sectors (refer below).

Violence against women

The Loddon Mallee Regional Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence Against Women
2016 2019 (Plan) defines violence against women in accordance with the United
Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (1993).
This defines violence against women as an act of gender-based violence that causes or
could cause physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering, including threats of
harm, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty in public or private life.
This definition includes but is not limited to family and domestic violence (family
violence).
Family violence
The Victorian Governments Department of Health and Human Services defines family
violence as any violent, threatening, coercive or controlling behaviour that occurs in
current or past family, domestic or intimate relationships.

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This includes not only physical injury but direct or indirect threats, sexual assault,
emotional and psychological torment, economic control, damage to property, social
isolation and any behaviour which causes a person to live in fear.
(Department of Health and Human Services: http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au)
Whilst men, women, children, young people and older people can all be victims of family
violence, data indicates that family violence is overwhelmingly perpetrated by men
against women.
There is a growing body of evidence that women and children are most vulnerable to
family violence related health and wellbeing impacts. Some related statistics that have
been collated by Our Watch - a body established with Commonwealth and Victorian
Government support to drive nation-wide change on this issue - include:

Family violence is the leading contributor to ill-health and premature death in women
under 45. This is more than any other well-known risks including high blood
pressure, obesity and smoking.
Almost every week in Australia a woman dies as a result of family violence. The
number of women who have died in 2015 as a result of family violence is tracking
much higher than this at approximately three women every two weeks.
One in four children / young people have been exposed to family violence against
their mother.
Physical and sexual abuse of children / young people is more common in
households where there is family violence.
(Our Watch: http://www.ourwatch.org.au)

Loddon Mallee region incidences of family violence

The Loddon Mallee region has the second highest regional incidence of reported family
violence in Victoria. Within a statewide context, four of the five municipalities with the
highest incidence of reported family violence are in the region, and six of the regions
municipalities have an incidence rate of reported family violence higher than the Victorian
average.
Previous Council Decision(s) Date(s):
15 August 2012: Council adopted the Violence Prevention Plan 2012 2015.
14 November 2012: Council adopted and signed the Achieving respect and gender
equality in Greater Bendigo Position Statement. This states that Council does not
condone any form of violence in the community and wants the community to be gender
equitable, respectful and inclusive.
27 May 2015: Council endorsed the Citys submission to the Victorian Royal Commission
into Family Violence (Royal Commission).

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Report
Local government has an important role to play in creating and maintaining environments
that promote health and wellbeing. This role is realised through both legislated activities
(e.g. the development and implementation of Municipal Health and Wellbeing Plans and
the delivery of maternal and child health services) and non-legislated activities (e.g. the
provision and management of recreational facilities).
Promoting health and wellbeing can be considered in terms of three spheres of influence
(spheres): primary prevention, early intervention and intervention. From a family violence
perspective, these three spheres could be described as follows:

Primary prevention: preventing family violence before it occurs (e.g. addressing the
underlying causes of family violence such as gender inequality).
Early intervention: taking action if there are early indicators of potential family
violence (e.g. addressing identified community or individual attitudes before they
develop into established patterns of behaviour).
Intervention: taking action after family violence has occurred (e.g. providing support
and treatment for victims of family violence).

Local government as a sector is best placed to influence the primary prevention and
early intervention spheres. However, some services delivered by the local government
sector can also extend into the intervention sphere as particular circumstances may
require (e.g. maternal and child health services).
Across the Loddon Mallee region a number of LGAs are already very active in the
primary prevention and early intervention spheres. This includes the City of Greater
Bendigo (City). Examples include:

A strategic focus on the prevention of violence against women within community

safety strategies;
Offering the Take A Stand Program (bystander training) for Council Officers and
Councillors;
Leading community engagement in White Ribbon Day and 16 Days of Activism for
the Elimination of Violence Against Women activities;
Participation in the Central Victorian Prevention of Violence Against Women Pilot
Cluster Project.

The Plan (refer to Attachment 1)

Womens Health Loddon Mallee (WHLM) has coordinated the development of the Plan
which has been funded by the Victorian Governments Department of Justice. Within a
statewide context, the Plan is one of nine similar regional plans either under
development or already published. The Plan aligns with existing national and state level
primary prevention of violence against women frameworks.
The VicHealth Preventing Violence Before It Occurs (2007) framework identifies the
underlying determinants or drivers of violence against women as being gender inequality
and rigid gender stereotypes, and these are a key focus of the Plan.
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The Plan outlines a number of strategies to promote collaboration and guide action on
the issues of family violence (and the prevention of violence against women and gender
equity, more broadly) at regional and local levels.
The following commitment statement has been developed so that organisations can
demonstrate their support of the Plans objectives:
We acknowledge that violence against women is prevalent and serious in the Loddon
Mallee region. We recognise that while any person can be a victim or perpetrator of
violence, violence is predominantly perpetrated by men, and in family violence situations,
women are predominantly the victims. We understand that that the underlying drivers of
violence against women are gender inequality, rigid gender stereotypes and cultures that
accept or excuse mens violence. We commit to working in our own organisations and in
partnership with others to end violence against women. We will do this by creating
organisations, communities and cultures that are non-violent, gender-equitable, nondiscriminatory and that promote respectful relationships. In this way we will address the
underlying drivers of violence against women and create a safer community.
Priority/Importance
Family violence is a growing issue for all levels of government due to the increasingly
high rates and severity of incidences. The findings and recommendations of the current
Royal Commission are due to be delivered to the Victorian Government in February 2016
and these are anticipated to place even greater focus on both future policies and
practices.
The Plan outlines strategies and actions that can be implemented to promote
collaborative approaches and support whole of community responses to family violence,
the prevention of violence against women and gender equity. By becoming a signatory to
the Plans statement of commitment Council could demonstrate ongoing leadership at
regional and local levels.
The integrated frameworks underpinning the Plan could also help Council to make a
strong case for funding opportunities which are likely to flow following the current Royal
Commission.
Consultation/Communication
The Plan and the associated statement of commitment has been developed in
consultation with a broad range of LGAs, community services, womens services,
emergency services and sporting and recreational associations from across the Loddon
Mallee region.
Resource Implications
There would no resource implications arising from Council becoming a signatory to the
Plans statement of commitment. The Plan is consistent with strategic directions the City
is already progressing.

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There may be resource implications arising from proposed actions directly linked to the
Plan, however becoming a signatory to the Plans statement of commitment does not
bind Council to undertake additional actions.
The capacity to progress actions linked to the Plan will need to be assessed on a caseby-case basis and within normal planning processes, or as new funding opportunities
emerge.
Conclusion
The Victorian Governments Department of Justice has provided funding for the
development of a Loddon Mallee Regional Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence
Against Women 2016 2019. Womens Health Loddon Mallee has coordinated the
development of the Plan in consultation with a diverse range of stakeholders. The Plan is
one of nine similar regional plans either under development or already published across
Victoria.
The Plan outlines strategies and actions that can be implemented to promote
collaborative approaches and support whole of community responses to family violence,
the prevention of violence against women and gender equity. The Plan aligns well with
the strategic directions and actions the City is already progressing. A Plan statement of
commitment has been developed so that organisations can demonstrate their support of
the Plans objectives.
By becoming a signatory to the Plans statement of commitment Council could
demonstrate ongoing leadership at regional and local levels. This ongoing leadership is
particularly important given four of the five Victorian municipalities with the highest
incidence of reported family violence are in the region, and six of the regions
municipalities have an incidence rate of reported family violence higher than the Victorian
average. It could also position the City well to access funding opportunities that may be
announced following the Victorian Governments Royal Commission into Family
Violence.
Becoming a signatory to the Plans statement of commitment does not bind Council to
undertake linked actions. The capacity to progress linked actions would need to be
assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Attachments
1. Loddon Mallee Regional Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence Against
Women 2016 2019.

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Leadership and Good Governance - Reports

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RECOMMENDATION
That Council resolve to become a signatory to the following statement of commitment for
the life of the Loddon Mallee Regional Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence Against
Women (2016-2019):
We acknowledge that violence against women is prevalent and serious in the Loddon
Mallee region. We recognise that while any person can be a victim or perpetrator of
violence, violence is predominantly perpetrated by men, and in family violence situations,
women are predominantly the victims. We understand that that the underlying drivers of
violence against women are gender inequality, rigid gender stereotypes and cultures that
accept or excuse mens violence. We commit to working in our own organisations and in
partnership with others to end violence against women. We will do this by creating
organisations, communities and cultures that are non-violent, gender-equitable, nondiscriminatory and that promote respectful relationships. In this way we will address the
underlying drivers of violence against women and create a safer community.

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