'Men need to change': Council rises against gendered violence as federal government brings nearly $1b to table

At the council meeting on April 30, Mayor Mark Greenhill tabled a mayoral matter of urgency on the domestic violence crisis, citing a 28 per cent rise in women killed by an intimate partner last year.

The matter of urgency noted the confronting statistics on the national crisis, along with the stories behind the numbers - of women, children, and overarching issues of sexism.

It expressed support for increased action and recognition of domestic violence as a national emergency.

"Governments alone won't solve this problem," Cr Greenhill told the Gazette.

"Men need to change, and the council I lead will continue the efforts we have had in place for many years to educate and bring about a change in attitudes that works against sexism - which is a building block for the appalling crisis confronting women and children in our community."

The council meeting was held the evening before a national cabinet meeting, in which Anthony Albanese announced nearly $1 billion in funding over five years targeting domestic violence.

The funding, to be added to the budget in a fortnight, will include the "Leaving Violence Program", which will provide financial support, safety assessments and referrals to support pathways for victims of domestic abuse.

Those eligible will be able to access up to $5,000 in financial support.

Mr Albanese said: "This commitment builds on measures put in place by our government to help address financial barriers to escaping violence."

Blue Mountains Ward 1 Councillor Suzie van Opdorp has 40 years of experience working in the area of domestic violence and sexual assault, and currently chairs the mayor's Domestic Violence Reference Group.

She said this funding will likely provide tangible assistance to those affected by gendered violence.

"I think it's a really practical way to assist. Say for instance you have to move out of your house; you've got to come up with a bond and probably four weeks rent. So that five thousand will actually be really helpful for that," Ms van Opdorp said.

Other measures against domestic violence announced by the federal government will target online spaces.

New legislation will ban creation and distribution of deepfake pornography and sexually explicit material using AI, and classification reforms will look to reduce exposure to violent pornography.

Furthermore, a review of the online safety act is being brought forward a year ahead of schedule, along with a new phase of the "Stop it at the start" campaign and new legislation in August to outlaw doxxing (unwanted release of personal information).

"One of the things that was very stark was just how much technology has changed the nature of the threat, and the damage which is being done by this new use of technology. It's something that we're very, very conscious of," Mr Albanese said.

Ms van Opdorp applauded the changes, particularly around protecting children in the online space.

"That's really hard for kids to deal with, and also their parents. How do parents protect their kids from that? Because often the kids are more savvy with IT than their parents are," she said.

Cr Greenhill said that in a recent post he made online, he was disappointed to see comments "[minimising] the dramatic increase in the deaths of women at the hands of an intimate partner, or former intimate partner, by quoting other statistics".

"The fact that other crime statistics may also be on the increase does not in any way diminish the fact that men are killing women in our community at an increasing rate, and no one can seek to diminish this awful circumstance," he said.

"I am grateful to the Prime Minister for acknowledging that this is a National crisis. I welcome the increased measures, including those aimed at perpetrators. This is a step forward, but we all know much more needs to be done."

Ms van Opdorp said that while there are numerous issues still requiring attention, discussions like this "help people realise that this just isn't okay, and that we do need to change".

"I think there's these broader systemic things that need to be addressed too, which include things like housing. I think also there needs to be a greater focus on child protection," she said.

"All of this requires that long-term cultural shift in the attitudes of the community... so let's hope this is a good start, and it results in some practical outcomes."

The Blue Mountains has several local support services which can provide help to those who may be distressed:

For other support services, see phone numbers below: