28 January 2026
The Domestic Violence NSW (DVNSW) Aboriginal Steering Committee extends our deepest condolences to the families, loved ones and community of Lake Cargelligo, in the wake of last week’s devastating murders. We honour the women and children whose lives were taken, and we hold the community in our thoughts during this time of profound grief.
These deaths are not isolated incidents. They are a tragic and painful reminder of the ongoing crisis of domestic and family violence affecting Aboriginal communities across NSW, particularly in regional and remote areas.
Aboriginal women and children continue to be grossly over-represented in domestic and family violence statistics, experiencing higher rates of violence, serious injury and death than any other group in this state. Each statistic represents an Aboriginal woman or child failed by government systems, intended to protect and support.
We’re calling on the NSW Government to move beyond expressions of sympathy and provide genuine acknowledgement of this over-representation, grounded in truth-telling about the impacts of colonisation, systemic racism, intergenerational trauma and chronic under-investment in Aboriginal-led responses.
More to this, acknowledgement must be matched with action.
The Aboriginal Steering Committee stands with Domestic Violence NSW in calling for a minimum 50% uplift in core funding for specialist domestic and family services in NSW. This investment must support Aboriginal-led, community-controlled solutions that are culturally safe, trauma-informed and designed by our community, for our community.
Meaningful commitment from government means long-term, secure funding; partnership with Aboriginal expertise; and accountability for outcomes for Aboriginal women and children. Without this, we will continue to see preventable violence, harm and loss.
Our communities deserve safety.
Our women and children deserve to live free from violence.
We will continue to speak, advocate and stand together until this is realised.
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About the DVNSW Aboriginal Steering Committee
The Steering Committee was formed in 2019. It’s made up of a diverse group of leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who bring cultural, community, and sector expertise to preventing and responding to domestic, family, and sexual violence. The group provides expert advice to DVNSW, government, and the sector – helping to develop and promote culturally safe practices that address the issues that matter most in their communities.
The Aboriginal Steering Committee members are:
- Amanda Morgan
- Ashlee Donohue
- Aunty Bronwyn Penrith
- Evie Rankmore
- Kooncha Brown
- Kowana Welsh
- Krystle Scott
- Mary Ronayne
- Maryanne Brown
- Regan Mitchell