9 December 2025
A new report from Domestic Violence NSW (DVNSW) finds the costs of delivering domestic and family violence services in regional, rural, and remote communities, is up to 8.94 times higher than cities. Without additional funding to meet these higher costs, victim-survivors outside major cities are being exposed to unacceptable levels of risk.
DVNSW, the peak body for approximately 200 specialist domestic and family violence services, is calling on the Minns Government to increase core funding for all services by 50%, complemented by a supplementary payment for regional, rural and remote providers. This would begin to address the heightened cost pressures and rising demand in these communities.
Increased funding is one of 13 recommendations in DVNSW’s new report – Ending Violence in Regional and Remote NSW – which identifies key drivers of high service delivery costs outside metropolitan areas, including:
- Significantly higher rates of DFV (up to 7.45 times higher than major cities)
- Geographical isolation and extensive travel requirements
- Workforce shortages, recruitment and retention challenges, and increased role complexity
- Limited infrastructure, crisis accommodation and safe housing options
Delia Donovan, CEO of DVNSW said the findings show that victim-survivors in country NSW and the services supporting them, are being left behind in the state’s response to DFV.
“Without immediate action, the combination of higher service delivery costs, limited crisis accommodation and workforce shortages will continue to expose women and children to harm.
Specialist domestic and family violence services are also forced to operate beyond safe limits to try and meet demand – this means potential burnout and victim-survivors being turned away,” she said.
The report draws on months of sector consultation, including a statewide Regional Forum in Armidale attended by more than 70 frontline workers, and service visits in Dubbo, Walgett, Nyngan, Lightning Ridge, Brewarrina, Coonamble, Lithgow, Taree and Port Macquarie during the 16 Days of Activism.
It shares lived examples from frontline workers going beyond their job descriptions to keep women and children safe – providing tents when no housing was available, paying for emergency vouchers out of their own pockets, and supporting waitlisted clients with ongoing safety planning.
DVNSW says the report’s 13 recommendations offer a targeted pathway to address challenges rooted in longstanding structural inequality.
The full report is available at: https://www.dvnsw.org.au/reports/ending-violence-in-regional-and-remote-nsw/
Available for interview: Delia Donovan, CEO, Domestic Violence NSW
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Media contact: Amelia Pitt, Communications Officer DVNSW
M: 0432388477