Working together to prevent violence: the launch of the Loddon Consortium’s Strategic Plan 2025-2028

Working together to prevent violence

The launch of the Loddon Consortium's Strategic Plan 2025-2028
11 June 2025

This Friday, 13 June 2025 the Loddon Consortium for Gender Equality and Violence Prevention (the Consortium) will officially launch its 3-year Strategic Plan, at Mackenzie Quarters in Bendigo. Bringing together staff, partners and stakeholders, the launch will set the scene for how specialist services are working together to deliver better outcomes for rural and regional communities.

The Consortium is a partnership between five specialist gender-based violence organisations across the Loddon area:

  • Centre for Non-Violence (CNV)
  • Annie North Women’s Refuge
  • Centre Against Sexual Assault Central Victoria (CASACV)
  • Women’s Health Loddon Mallee
  • Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health.

The Consortium was established in 2004, bringing together services working in the specialist gendered violence sectors. The partnership is the only Consortium in Victoria that provides integrated regional programs and services for victim survivors of family and sexual violence, men who use violence towards family members, and works to prevent gendered violence. The Consortium is united in its commitment to working and advocating for gender and social equality and a community free of violence.

Some of the key achievements of the Consortium over the last two decades include the innovative development of integrated services for victim survivors of family and sexual violence and men who use violence towards family members. This includes integrated after-hours response programs (family and sexual violence) and shared intake for the Safe, Thriving and Connected therapeutic recovery programs and services for victim survivors, including children.

The Consortium also has representation on key alliances and networks in the Loddon region and statewide, continuously advocating for a specialist family and sexual violence informed policy and legislative decision making. It is the strategic vision of the Consortium’s work that communities, right across the Loddon area, are able to have safe and accessible services to help prevent, respond to and recover from gendered, family and sexual violence, and to ensure that the voices and experiences of regional and rural communities are listened to when decisions are being made at the State and Federal level.

The new strategic plan is the culmination of two decades of learning and leadership of specialist services and brings an even greater focus on the importance of working together to achieve the change we seek to see: everyone in our community has the right to live a life without fear or violence. The Consortium are excited to launch the Strategic Plan 2025-2028 and look forward to setting the scene for another 20 years of successful collaboration, partnership and advocacy.

If you, or someone you know is experiencing family or sexual violence, or you are concerned about your behaviour towards your family, help is available.

In any emergency call: 000

Centre for Non-Violence: (free call) 1800 884 292

Centre Against Sexual Assault Central Victoria: (03) 5441 0431

The Orange Door Loddon: (free call) 1800 512 359

Safe Steps: (24/7 statewide service) 1800 015 188

Sexual Assault Crisis Line (24/7 statewide service) 1800 806 292

 

END MEDIA RELEASE.

For any media enquiries please contact:

Dr Clare Shamier, Head of Business Development and Advocacy, Centre for Non-Violence:

e). [email protected]

m). 0488 281 528

Our reconciliation journey at CNV

Our reconciliation journey at CNV

Reconciliation is a journey of many steps, taken individually and together each day.
27 May 2025

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) runs from May 27 to June 3 each year. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the journey to reconciliation: the 1967 Referendum and the High Court Mabo decision. NRW is a time to reflect on the meaning of Reconciliation, acknowledging and understanding our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and respecting our personal and collective roles in the process of achieving Reconciliation.

At CNV, we have been taking small but intentional steps on this path for some time. In 2024, we published our first Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which outlines the next chapter of this journey.

Less than a year since our RAP was launched, some key projects and changes are already well underway. Our internal advisory committee – Ngladurrung Yanagyu – meaning walking together in Djaara language, was established early on to bring staff along the journey. This is crucial to bringing employees up to speed and moving from staff participation to endorsement and ownership.

One of the first actions was amending our Enterprise Bargaining Agreement so employees can opt to work on Invasion Day (January 26). This symbolic change enables staff to take a different day off in lieu, which shifts the focus from a day of celebration, to one of mourning and reflection, 32 staff opted to utilise this provision in the first year it was enacted.

A more long-term focus has been building and nurturing a culture of learning and self-reflection. This is a key part of staff orientation and carries through into ongoing systems, communications and external partnerships. The main focus is to educate staff, encourage self-reflection, and address underlying racism.

An important driver in these changes has been support at all levels of the organisation, with the work very much driven by CNV’s Board of Management. The Board developed and endorsed CNV’s Commitment to First Nations Peoples in May 2023, and are strong advocates for the RAP.

Margaret Augerinos, CEO of CNV, highlights how shifting workplace culture and attitudes is cornerstone in the RAP.

“A RAP is not just in the doing, it’s the changing of organisational culture so that we don’t have to think about these things, so that it’s already embedded in policies and processes,” she says.

Another key focus is building self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Wherever possible, we are engaging with First Nations owned businesses, from catering to printing and everything in between. A directory has been established to highlight key opportunities to work with local Aboriginal businesses and suppliers.

CNV participated in the Workplace Reconciliation Barometer (WRB) Survey. A biennial, nation-wide survey that looks at the attitudes towards and perceptions of reconciliation among employees of RAP organisations. Overall, we had positive results and important feedback on how to drive our reconciliation journey. The findings showed our staff’s commitment to participating in truth-telling activities (92%), 100% had participated in a National Reconciliation Event in 2024 and 68% view CNV has genuine and strong commitment towards reconciliation. This has been supported by CNV taking steps to create a more welcoming and culturally safe environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, whilst also providing a space that supports staff learning, engagement and capacity building. This includes purchasing maps of First Nations lands and creating acknowledgement of country cards.

Moving forward we will continue to focus on building relationships with external stakeholders who are allies in reconciliation and community. This helps us to listen to and be led by First Nations voices, which is a crucial part of reconciliation. CNV a member of the Bendigo Reconciliation and Allyship Committee and has developed an action plan to drive key actions in the region at an individual, community and organisational level over the next 5 years.

Sign up to our newsletter.

Receive our latest news, including sector resources and events, and hear how we're supporting our community.

Coercive Control: An Endemic Tactic of Family Violence

Coercive Control: An Endemic Tactic of Family Violence

Recent dialogues and media attention have again placed an important spotlight on the dangers and devastating impacts of coercive control.
21 May 2025

This is a welcome opportunity to highlight the importance of understanding, recognising and responding to this insidious and dangerous tactic.

Coercive control is a repeated pattern of abusive, manipulating and intimidating behaviours and almost always underpins the dynamics of family and domestic violence. Perpetrators use coercive and controlling tactics and behaviours most often within intimate partner relationships, with current and former partners and within broader family relationships, including against children and elders.

Coercive control is a largely gendered issue and while people of all genders can perpetrate or experience coercive control, it is overwhelmingly perpetrated by cisgender men against cisgender and transgender women.

Coercive control is a range of deliberate tactics, with perpetrators using subtle, underhanded and manipulative behaviours that directly target victim survivors. These tactics are used in a methodical and deliberate way, and include physical and non-physical behaviours.

These tactics and behaviours may only be recognised and visible to perpetrators and victim survivors: they are often invisible or unnoticed by others. These behaviours intimidate, humiliate and coerce, causing fear, hurt, isolation and limits to victim survivors’ freedom of choice.

Examples of coercive control include gestures, looks, jealousy, social isolation, put downs, threats to harm, financial, legal and systems abuse. You may see or notice subtle changes over time from the impacts of coercive control, with victim survivors having reduced confidence, changing their behaviour, limiting and restricting their movements and activities or isolating themselves from family and friends.

Impacts

Coercive control is serious. It can cause immediate and long-term harm. The impacts often get worse over time and continue after the relationship has ended. Separation and relationship breakdown can be the most dangerous time for victim survivors. Coercive control can impact every part of a person’s life including their mental and physical health, relationships, employment and financial security. The abuse can also impact on a person’s sense of safety, their independence, and self-esteem – making them feel trapped, powerless and alone.

We know coercive control is a defining feature of family violence and is present in most, if not all cases where family violence occurs. For example, of the 2,247 victim survivor risk and safety assessments that CNV conducted between July to December 2024, controlling behaviours were present in 83 per cent of cases. This behaviour, along with intersectional risk factors of perpetrator alcohol and drug misuse, stalking and jealousy are key evidence-based lethality and risk indicators. This is not an isolated issue. Extreme risk was identified in 43 per cent of the victim survivors’ assessments: with 10 or more evidence-based risk factors identified.

Supports

Seeking support and/or leaving an abusive relationship can be difficult and victim survivors may feel like it is impossible to leave due to the risks they are facing. But help is available.

CNV provides specialist integrated support to both victim survivors and perpetrators of family violence.

We assess the safety and risk of victim survivors and perpetrators, to provide responses that uphold safety and accountability and mobilise systems. We work collaboratively to address the needs of our clients.

If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, contact us for advice and support. Alternatively, if you are supporting someone who is experiencing family violence you can refer them directly to our service.

Reach out for support today

At CNV, we're here to help. You can call, phone or simply drop in.

Reflections from the UN Commission for the Status of Women

Reflections from the UN Commission for the Status of Women

The UN Commission for the Status of Women (CSW) was established in 1946, and is the primary international body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality, and the rights and the empowerment of women.
By Margaret Augerinos, CEO for Centre for Non-Violence

In March this year, I travelled to New York alongside Yvette Jaczina, CNV’s Executive Manager of Programs & Services, where we attended the sixty-ninth session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69).

The UN Commission for the Status of Women (CSW) was established in 1946, and is the primary international body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality, and the rights and the empowerment of women. This year, the CSW celebrated a major milestone: the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

The Beijing Declaration is the world’s most comprehensive, visionary plan ever created to achieve the equal rights of all women and girls. Agreed by 189 governments in 1995, at the Fourth World Conference on Women, it centres on 12 areas of action – referred to as “critical areas of concern”. These cover jobs and the economy, political participation, peace, the environment, ending violence against women and more.

It was quite the experience being in New York to celebrate this landmark agreement in a backdrop of some of the most regressive and repressive actions, policies, laws and decisions occurring across the globe.  Whilst we have come a long way, there is still so much more to do in a context where hard fought for rights and gains are easily stripped away.

The CSW events include a large number of sessions and parallel events on a range of topics. We attended a number of sessions over two weeks with a focus on hearing from diverse voices and First Nations people across the globe.

One of these sessions included Maori and Pacific women and girls who shared reflections on the impact of national strategies to address gender-based violence and racism. The presenters discussed how these strategies did little to incorporate the voices of lived and living experience. Other sessions discussed the advocacy for constitutional transformation focused on reconciliation, remediation, restoration and reconstruction and for this to be developed in genuine partnership and co-design representing the ideals defined in the Treaty process.

The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, proudly spoke of and recognised the importance of feminist activists and civil society. He acknowledged the increasing backlash and misogyny and said we needed to continue to resist and push back against repressive forces.

Part of the trip was spent supporting the ongoing work of the Global Network of Women’s Shelters (GNWS). I participated in the annual GNWS board meeting, attended the GNWS parallel event, several meetings to support advocacy and securing funds for GNWS and was involved in the initial steps to establish the Oceania Network for the GNWS.

Finally, CNV co-presented a parallel session with WESNET and Safe + Equal on how peak organisations contribute to strengthening frontline services addressing gender-based violence. The session explored the role of peak bodies in advocating for political, legislative and social reforms, and increased funding for specialist services. Presenters highlighted how state and national collaboration enhances support for frontline services and the communities they serve, and the importance of partnerships, resources, and advocacy in building effective and sustainable responses to gender-based violence. CNV was able to talk directly to how the WESNET and Safe + Equal had strengthened and supported our work. It was a great session and well received by the audience.

Rates of Reported Family Violence Incidents on the Rise in Regional Victoria

Rates of Reported Family Violence Incidents on the Rise in Regional Victoria

Rural and Regional Victorian communities are experiencing increased rates of family violence incidents.
5 December 2024

The recent Victorian Crime Statistics for the year ending 2023-2024 paint a clear, yet sobering picture: our communities are in crisis.

Statewide, a significant increase in reported incidents has been recorded with a 6.1 per cent jump from the previous year.

Police have also reported significant increases in incidences of children experiencing family violence.

Locally, our communities are not immune from this crisis, with regional Victorian families are twice as likely to experience family violence than those living in metropolitan area.

Working with both victim survivors and adults using violence, CNV received over 2500 referrals for support in 2023-2024.

Of these referrals, 2029 victim survivors were provided with intensive case management, including 1005 children.

Our response and recovery teams are experiencing an upward trend in the need for specialised, complex case management for both victim survivors and adults using violence – this necessarily requires providers to offer longer and more intensive case management support than in previous years. We are not only witnessing a rise in the reported number of family violence incidences, but concerningly also a rise in the severity of violence.

Victim survivors are presenting to our service with an escalated risk of harm by the perpetrator. Anyone who presents with more than five lethality indicators is considered to be at imminent risk of lethality or serious harm.

Of the 3513 risk assessments conducted 27 per cent of victim survivors had 10 or more lethality indicators.

The top 5 presenting lethality indicators to CNV this last financial year included:

  • Coercive control
  • Stalking
  • Jealousy/obsession
  • Risk of Serious Harm
  • Drug and Alcohol misuse

Executive Manager of Programs and Services, Yvette Jaczina highlights:

“[o]ur staff are reporting to us that not only is the severity of the violence escalating, that the complexity of the support needs continues to grow.”

The ongoing housing and cost of living crisis severely impacts a victim survivors ability to seek safety.

“…[f]inding suitable housing is particularly challenging and can leave women and children in desperate circumstances” states Jaczina.

Over 40 per cent of the victim survivors that CNV supported over the last 12 months spoke to their concerns around housing instability. We know that a lack of safe, affordable housing is forcing victim survivors to make the decision to either risk homelessness or stay in the home with the perpetrator.

We also know that the ongoing cost of living crisis is a significant concern for victim survivors who are already often at financial disadvantage due to financial abuse. Financial abuse is a common control tactic used by perpetrators and can include preventing victim survivors from accessing money, incurring debts in someone’s name, making financial decisions without including someone, stealing money or forcing the household to live on inadequate resources. 65 per cent of victim survivors supported by CNV listed financial stress as a contributing factor to their decision-making when seeking a life free from family violence.

CNV provided over $1.5million in brokerage support for victim survivors across the 2023-2024 financial year. These support packages are a critical component of our case management support for victim survivors. Brokerage support includes providing short-term emergency accommodation, fuel and food vouchers as well as short term tenancy support.

Victim survivors in smaller regional towns experience particular and unique challenges: they often face isolation because of distance, lack of transport and lack of police response. Many smaller towns in regional Victoria do not offer around-the-clock police response and this further compounds the complexity of how we need to adapt approaches to ending family violence.

To help combat the social isolation experienced by many who have experienced family violence and support recovery, CNV recently began to offer victim survivors, the opportunity to come together and be part of the Strong Voices Choir – with no experience necessary and children welcome, it is an opportunity for people to gather and experience the joy of singing in a friendly, informal setting led by two experienced choir leaders and supported by staff from our Safe, Thriving and Connected therapeutics program.

Importantly, while family violence is predominantly perpetrated by men against women, the evidence is clear: family violence does not discriminate. It impacts all families, from all backgrounds. CNV supported families from a diverse range of backgrounds, including working with people LGBTQIA+ community, First Nation community and CALD community. We are seeing right across the board, increases in the escalation of family violence, and we know that for many in our community, seeking safety will require specialised, tailored responses that organisations like CNV can provide.

If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, please reach out today, we’re here to help.

If you, or someone you know is concerned about their behaviour, please get in touch, we’re here to help.

Centre for Non-Violence (Monday- Friday, Business Hours): 1800 884 292

The Orange Door (Monday-Friday, Business Hours): 1800 512 359

Safe Steps (24/7 statewide crisis response service): 1800 015 188

Djirra (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Specialist FV Service): 1800 105 303

Rainbow Door (LGBTQIA+ Specialist FV Service, 10am-5pm/7 days a week):  1800 729 367

Call for Greater Investment in Specialist Front-Line Services

Call for Greater Investment in Specialist Front-Line Services

The Federal Budget has failed to address the urgent need for increased and ongoing investment in the family violence services sector.
15 May 2024

Last night’s Federal Budget announcement has failed to address the urgent need for increased and ongoing investment in the family violence prevention and response services sector.

While we welcome continued funding, we know that there is increasing demand for our services; and that we are at crisis point.

Right across the sector we are working at, or beyond capacity. Our dedicated, specialist staff are working tirelessly to support families in our region to live a life free from family violence.

Yet more needs to be done. And we cannot do this without greater investment into frontline specialist services, and a commitment from Federal Government to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of victim survivors of family violence.

With more than one woman a week murdered as a result of gender-based and family violence, it’s time for those with the power to make the changes we seek to see, to listen and to act.

CNV, like many other specialist family violence prevention and support services right across the country, know that family violence is 100% preventable. We have decades of experience, research and specialist knowledge of the drivers of violence against women, children, First Nation Peoples and diverse communities.

And yet, when decision-making around funding, and investment into prevention and support is made, too often our voices and expertise is left out of the conversation.

We are tired of hearing that the work we do isn’t enough. We are tired of hearing that what we do isn’t working.

We know the work we do matters. We know it has an impact. We know our work saves lives. Over the last 34 years, the Centre for Non-Violence alone has supported tens of thousands of women and children escaping family violence.

We have, as an organisation provided millions of hours of prevention, crisis and therapeutic support for victim survivors who have experienced family violence across the Loddon area.

Our work with men who use violence has been instrumental in improving the lives and outcomes for victim survivors. It has also supported men to take responsibility for the choice to use violence and to change values and beliefs that drive the choice to use violence.

Our prevention work has seen thousands of hours of specialist training and workshops delivered to schools, local government and business within the region.

And while we work, the phones keep ringing and we keep answering.

But in order for us to continue to meet the increasing demand for our services we must not only be heard, but provided the capacity and resources to meet demand.

We are calling on not only an increase in funding to the sector, but an ongoing commitment by the Federal Government to deliver dedicated, long-term investment into programs and services, both in prevention and crucial front-line intervention.

You Are Not Alone Research

You Are Not Alone Research Project Call Out

Research project calls for service users to participate in focus group.
CNV has partnered with La Trobe University to conduct a research project about the lived experience of delivering and receiving services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Centre for Non-Violence developed the You Are Not Alone campaign in response to the premise that ‘the safest place to be is at home during the COVID-19 pandemic’.

In the early months of the pandemic, many health and welfare professionals, including practitioners at the Centre for Non-Violence, were concerned about an imminent rise in family and domestic violence as the pandemic unfolded.

We knew that women were in lockdown at home with their partner and were unable to seek help.

CNV has partnered with La Trobe University to conduct a research project about the lived experience of delivering and receiving services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are interested in talking with clients who reached out for and/or accessed support from CNV during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns:

  • Lockdown 2: July-October 2020 (111 days)
  • Lockdown 3: February 2021 (5 days)
  • Lockdown 4: May-June 2021 (14 days)

We want to hear service users’ experiences of working with CNV during this time.

In this research, we aim to better understand the lived experience and work out how we can better design services and systems responsive to needs.
Face-to-face focus groups are scheduled on 8 August 2023 from 10am-12pm with lunch provided.

Participation will be acknowledged with a gift card and supported with transport/travel and childcare costs.

If you are interested in participating or would like to find out more about this project, please email
[email protected]