Domestic violence rates on the rise in Maitland

The alarming revelations come in the same week the state government announced its $230 million emergency domestic violence package.

While DV incidents across Maitland continue to worsen, Carrie's Place CEO Jayne Clowes said news of the package has come as a small beacon of hope.

"Finally we're being heard, but a lot more has to be done," she said.

Ms Clowes said in particular, the Staying Home Leaving Violence program, which part of the funding package, is not new for Carrie's Place, which has offered the program since the 2010s.

Ms Clowes said what is needed now is affordable housing, social housing and funding for behaviour programs for men.

Carrie's Place is currently working far beyond its capacity, and when women come in needing a place to stay, there's nowhere for them to go.

The Carrie's Place shelter is at capacity and the team is giving out tents.

"For domestic violence related assaults in the Maitland LGA, it's actually up by 13.2 per cent and that's from 2019 to December 2023," Ms Clowes said.

"What is really concerning for us at the moment is the breaches in AVOs, so that's when a perpetrator breaches the AVO, the breaches are up by 11.8 per cent over the five year trend so that's pretty high.

"The state of play at the moment is that for Carrie's Place, we are actually seeing a lot more clients coming to us without an appointment, a lot more calls.

"Several months ago we actually had to close our intake down because we basically couldn't cope with the demand."

Carrie's Place receives state government funding to support 424 clients experiencing homelessness per year, and in 2022-23 the service saw 707 clients.

From the end of 2023 to April 2024, the service had already surpassed its funded intake amount with 451 clients.

The Carrie's Place Staying Home Leaving Violence program is contracted to support 180 women across Maitland, Cessnock, Dungog, Singleton, Muswellbrook and the Upper Hunter, and in 2022-2023 it supported 324 women with this service.

From 2023 to the end of April 2024, already Carrie's Place has provided this service to 464 women; well over what it is contracted and funded to do.

The demand is far outweighing what the organisation is funded for, so Carrie's Place has to think outside the box and rely on donations.

Ms Clowes said she was not surprised by recent Bureau of Crime Statistics data which revealed Maitland as the 31st worst local government area in the state for domestic violence incidents, as she had noticed a steep rise in women needing help.

She said the whole community has a responsibility to call domestic violence out.