Our state already has 18,000 children in out of home care in response to the spiralling increase in domestic violence and family breakdown.

So, trying to keep part of a family together has, it could be said, a dollar value? To this point women’s refuges play a key role in not just accommodating, but in doing active out reach work to support their client target group and to inform and educate the community on domestic violence.

Putting humane care aside, whatever bright “coin counters” thought up the masterful strategy should redo their sums.

Without the current refuge safety support networks in place, you will see an increase of at risk families falling in and out of domestic crisis, resulting in a greater cost to their family members and the community in general.

When you cost the early intervention and prevention model for all concerned, it is a more professional, caring and cost effective method. Like a serious car accident the first roadside practice is to get the victims as quickly as possible into a place of safety, for treatment and care. That’s why we need the refuge system in our town that is not “hog tied” by heavy weight bureaucracies.

The transfer of the remaining refuges from secular to church administration, from feminist to male policy dominated agencies, this one would think, flies in the face of the principle of “positive discrimination” as the hallmark value and process to create individual and social change.

Our society should give this concept due weight because it impacts in on the key building block of our community, namely: family.

I hope that Eurobodalla and Bega shires interagency committees create a log to record and monitor each and every event of  a break down of client care and service.

Peter Gorry,

Retired District Manager

DOCS Batemans Bay District Centre