How do we build community safety in NSW?

11 June 2025

CEO Update

One of the saddest things I’ve read was issued by the NSW Attorney General a couple of weeks ago; a media release celebrating the success of its tough bail laws.

It seems we are celebrating an increase in the number of people in prison, that it was a good thing because most of them were on remand for domestic violence offences. Oh, and the vast majority of these were Indigenous offenders.

“Our tough new bail laws are necessary and, they are working,” the release issued by the A-G but without any personal attribution asserted.

This news is distressing because these numbers mean many, many women have been the victims of domestic violence.

I am sad because the perpetrators of the violence are now locked into a cycle that we know will only lead to recidivism.

And I am sad because the plights of these people are now being used to justify a model of law and order which we know is both costly and counterproductive.

Beyond this sadness, there is also anger, especially when I speak to NCOSS members struggling to deliver both prevention and support measures in remote communities. Research out this week shows a concerning increase in the rate of domestic and family violence, especially in regional areas. Some regions have seen a spike of up to 24 per cent over the past two years and domestic abuse against children has also increased by 9.5 percent overall in the state across the last year.

Members of the community services sector like Thiyama-li, a Family Violence Service that covers Walgett, Moree and Bourke, are chronically under resourced. They are having to turn people away from services that could be preventing the violence that justifies the incarceration from occurring and ruins the lives of so many people beyond the perpetrator.

I also get angry when I hear the government is investing more than half a billion (yes, billion) dollars into prisons and courts in order to deal with the growing number of indigenous men locked up.

And my anger boils over when this is portrayed as proof of ‘success’ of the government approach to crime, rather than the incredibly expensive admission of failure that it is.

Right now, it costs around $750,000 a year to keep someone in prison, for young people that cost is $1 million.

For a fraction of this cost, the government could provide NCOSS members with the resources they need to reduce the need for criminal intervention and incarceration.

Of course, it’s not a binary choice; we need enforcement and prevention, but it seems in rhetoric and substance, the government has got the balance wrong.

As we move into the next state election cycle, we need to be really careful we don’t follow other states like Queensland and now Victoria in framing the election around crime, particularly youth and Indigenous crime.

We are living in an era where people feel crime is rising, even when the statistics suggest otherwise; where incidents are amplified on social media and community Facebook groups, where fear is easy to weaponise.

But the best of governments don’t play to these fears, they put in the resources, time and effort to make communities safer, not just through policing but prevention.

NCOSS spoke to Chris Picone, solicitor from Thiyama-li Family Violence Service.

Tell us a bit about your service?

“Thiyama-li” means to rise up in Kamilaroi . We help Indigenous women, children and men who experience family violence or sexual assault.

We have three offices in Moree, Walgett, and Bourke. In each of the offices, we have an office manager and a client support officer who engages with people in the community. If a client needs to go to court, the client support officer will go to court with them to support them.

Each office also has a community development officer, and they run programs, including a women's program and early intervention programs in schools.

We also assist people with family law matters too, where there's a dispute between the parents as to what's best for the children.

What makes for effective prevention when it comes to domestic and family violence?

Our community development officers go to the schools and help kids recognise the signs of violence early and teach them how to protect themselves. They talk about what sort of behaviour is acceptable and what is not.

I believe teaching kids early is a well-known formula for getting people to engage positively.

Have you currently got the resources to do your work effectively?

The biggest problem we have is getting staff. Our best resource is our staff. We have the money, but we find it very hard to attract people to Moree, Walgett and Bourke.

We normally have between three and four solicitors working here, and for six months, I was the only solicitor here. We really do need a solicitor to service the other areas. The solicitors do service Walgett, but they go out at least once a month on outreach, and if the demand is there, they'll do extra average services as well.

So, if you can't get enough staff, does it mean you can't deliver the services?

There's a very high demand. It seems to be non-stop in all three centres. And if you don't have the staff, then you can't service the clients, really, that's what it comes down to.

How do you feel when the government prioritises its spending to prisons and courts over prevention?

It's a really complex question. Recently three boys from Moree stole a car and hit and killed a motorcyclist. The 14-year-old driver had previously been granted bail either 80 or 90 times and breached every one of those.

So, there was a huge outcry. There was a big public meeting here in Moree not long after, and a public meeting in Armidale and Kempsey.

What do you do with those three boys? I mean, you can lock them up, but is it going to change their ways? Locking them up is no long-term solution. Mentoring and education are the key.

Look at the last say, 50 years — what we've done hasn't worked. The jails are overflowing and look at what's happening with crime. We need a different approach.

They need mentoring. There's a great program run at Armidale called Back Track Boys. Boys get teamed up with a cattle dog or a kelpie. And these boys are from, as you can imagine, bloody difficult backgrounds. They're taught how to love something, like a dog, and it turns these boys’ lives around.

You can guarantee those three boys think their lives are hopeless. They think they'll never have the training to get a decent job. Illiteracy rates are high in some areas and if you can't read or write, you're not going to be able to go to TAFE and do a course.

There’s no point locking those boys up for five years. What are they going to be like when they get out? I think the sooner you can get into schools and send them the message about what's right and what's wrong, and create opportunities for them, the better.

Register now for the NCOSS Post Budget Breakfast on 2 July at NSW Parliament House.

This event gives you the opportunity to hear from the NSW Treasurer, the Hon. Daniel Mookhey MLC and the Hon. Damien Tudehope MLC about the state budget. It will be hosted by Alexandra Smith, State Political Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.

The Treasurer's address will be followed by a panel discussion with a diverse group of senior leaders from across government, the sector and academia. They will focus on the theme of ‘Working together towards a fairer future’ and will explore the foundations of a fairer future and how the sector, communities and government can best work together for inclusion, wellbeing and opportunity.

Afterwards, stay for a delicious breakfast and chat with others working in the community sector.

Register now at this link.

Do you want to strengthen your advocacy with a solid understanding of the NSW Budget?

This practical workshop is designed specifically for people working in the social service sector who want to engage effectively with the budget process and use it to support their work.

In this workshop, you'll learn:
• The purpose, context, and structure of the NSW Budget
• How the budget process works from start to finish
• What’s in a budget and how to approach it strategically
• How to read and interpret budget papers
• Common pitfalls and how to verify information

17 June, 2pm. Online

This is a free event and open to roles across the sector. Register here now.

NCOSS has several resources that can help you in writing your upcoming tender or grant application.

Mapping Economic Disadvantage - find localised poverty rates and attributes of who is living in disadvantage – including their age, sex, employment, family arrangements, and housing tenure. See how economic disadvantage has changed since 2016.

Beyond Roads and Bridges: critical social infrastructure for SWS - highlights the growing demand for services in one of the fastest growing regions in NSW, South West Sydney. It looks at the unmet need in 8 crucial areas of social infrastructure: social housing, community facilities, disability services, community mental health, domestic and family violence support, child protection, migrant and refugee services, and financial counselling.

Lasting Impacts: the economic cost of child poverty - Drawing on a range of data sources, sector insights and lived experience, this report highlights how the impacts of child poverty can reverberate throughout a child’s life and their association with significant costs in terms of government expenditure and revenue, and economic growth.

Community Workers Forum
Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW
12 June, Surry Hills
Free | Register here

The Community Workers Forum will explore the real-life consequences of unaffordable energy and water bills. It will draw on lived experience, combined with specialist knowledge to explore how we can collectively work to minimise the impacts of high bills on households.

Attendees will hear perspectives from First Nations and Multicultural communities as well as from speakers in the tenancy, disability, energy and water sectors. Ombudsman, Janine Young, will also provide practical information about how to assist consumers experiencing vulnerability.

Supporting Young People - Investment not Incarceration
Armidale Women's Shelter
17-19 June, Armidale
$250 | Register here

Armidale and communities across the New England region have talking about the effects of youth crime. Along with having some of the NSW highest child and young person removal rates and equally low rates of restoration, more needs to be done to understand the complex and interlocking issues of homelessness; violence against children and young people; and cultural safe and trauma informed mental health supports

Disability Support Pension Webinar
Welfare Rights Centre
3 July, Online
Free | Register here

Our free webinar explains the complex DSP rules that determine eligibility by working through the multi-layered assessment process, including eligibility criteria, evidence requirements, and key steps in the claim process.

Speakers cover manifest eligibility, Impairment Tables, Programs of Support and job assessment capacity. They also explain temporary exemptions from mutual obligations to look for work for those struggling to gain access to DSP.

Rural, Regional and Remote Summit
Community Legal Centres NSW
22-24 July, Port Macquarie
$45-$150 | Register here

The RRR Summit is a rare and exciting opportunity to unite Community Legal Centres operating in rural, regional, and remote areas for a three-day, in-person event focused on professional development, knowledge exchange, and sector-wide collaboration.

Day three of the Summit welcomes community organisations for sessions on legal capacity in rural, regional and remote areas; care and protection; partnerships with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations; and climate justice and innovation.

Supporting neurodivergent young people using violence in the home
Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare
30 July, Online
$260 | Register here

Supporting neurodivergent young people using violence in the home requires a specialised, therapeutic approach—one recognising their unique needs while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of their families.

The Centre, in collaboration with Dr Amanda Mullin (Doctor of Clinical Psychology and Director, Mindworx Psychology), is offering a three-hour interactive training designed to equip professionals with the skills and strategies needed to work effectively in these complex situations.

Building Digital Skills Grant
Closing Date: 27 June 2025

Building Digital Skills grants of up to $20,500 help organisations to support older Australians aged 50+ through free digital mentoring sessions. A range of resources and support materials are available to help organisations to deliver this program, including the learning courses available on the Be Connected learning site.

By providing the Be Connected program for free using this grant, recipients will help older people to develop their digital skills and confidence.

For more information, please visit the grant information page.

Telco Cost Reduction Grant
Closing Date: 30 June 2025

This Round offers offers NFP and for-purpose organisations an opportunity to save and control ongoing mobile costs. By applying, you have the chance to consult with our clever telco analysts, who can show you where and how to optimise your organisation's mobile spend - all for nix. And, your organisation could be selected for an implementation project or 6-months access to our cost control dashboard - all for free.

For more information, please visit the grant information page.

National Carers Week Grants
Closing Date: 23 June 2025

This year National Carers Week will be held from Sunday 12 October to Saturday 18 October 2025. This grant aims to recognise and celebrate carers through a range of events and activities.

This year carer support groups and organisations from across NSW will be able to apply for a grant between $200-$500 to celebrate and recognise the contribution of family and friend carers in their communities by holding local events and activities.

For more information, please visit the grant information page.

Some of the latest from our Jobs Board:

Programs Lead (Inner City Sydney) - Weave Youth & Community Services - VIEW JOB

Administration Officer (Sydney CBD) - Welfare Rights Centre - VIEW JOB

Community Development Officer (Inner City Sydney) - Seniors Rights Service - VIEW JOB

Family Caseworker (Inner West Sydney) - Community Action for Better Living - VIEW JOB

Individual Giving Specialist (Sydney) - ACON - VIEW JOB

Operations Manager (Inner City Sydney) - Detour House Inc - VIEW JOB

Anti-Violence Case Worker (Inner West Sydney) - Leichhardt Women's Community Health Centre - VIEW JOB

Project Manager - Aboriginal-Led Commissioning (Sydney CBD) - AbSec - VIEW JOB