CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes (CCWF) welcomes the NSW government’s announcement of an extra $184.1 million for domestic and family violence programs in this week’s budget to help keep more women and children safe.

CCWF is the largest provider of domestic and family violence services in western NSW, working across a regional and remote area of more than 400,000 km².

CCWF chief executive officer Anne-Marie Mioche said the extra funding – a 50 per cent increase to be phased in across four years – for six frontline specialist programs was recognition of the scale of the need for support for women and children.

“Domestic and family violence occurs at unacceptable levels,” Ms Mioche said.

“Like all providers, we are experiencing rising demand for support.

“This budget announcement shows that Premier Chris Minns and Minister Jodie Harrison have listened to the sector about the challenges of supporting victims to safety and healing.”

Ms Mioche said this week’s announcement built on other significant initiatives including funding for more permanent crisis beds, to benefit women and children escaping domestic and family violence and other groups most affected by homelessness, as well as an investment to deliver new refuges across NSW.

CCWF is a provider of four of the six programs earmarked for extra funding: the Staying Home Leaving Violence, Men’s Behaviour Change, Domestic Violence Response Enhancement and Specialist Workers for Children and Young People programs at various locations across western NSW.

The Far West and Orana region had the highest rate of domestic violence assault in the 12 months to December 2025 (1502.4/100,000 population), more than three times the rate for NSW, Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research figures released in March show.

“We look forward to hearing how this increased funding will affect our organisation,” Ms Mioche said.

“We have long argued regional and remote NSW needs a fairer share of funding, given the vulnerability of our population, the high rates of domestic violence, and the complexity of working in regional and remote areas.”

In November CCWF brought together more than 100 frontline workers, community advocates and leading voices at the Hidden No More: shining the light on domestic violence in rural communities symposium at Narromine, and issues raised by providers were fed back to government.

“This is a complex area to tackle but the government has made some significant inroads into addressing the gaps and listening to what providers are saying,” Ms Mioche said.

“We believe this funding in the budget and recent changes rolled out will have an impact on domestic violence in NSW.”

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes (CCWF) is creating a place for women to gather in a supportive environment to build connections and confidence and grow understanding of healthy and respectful relationships.

The organisation’s SistaCare program provides peer support and education in western NSW communities.

Starting in an initial five towns three years ago, this month the program expanded to another six locations, supported by funding from the latest round of the Australian government’s Strong and Resilient Communities – Inclusive Communities Grants.

CCWF first launched SistaCare at Bourke, Condobolin, Forbes, Narromine and Parkes, with the endeavour boosted by the Australian government’s Strong and Resilient Communities – Inclusive Communities Grants in 2023.

It was developed by CCWF in response to feedback from women who had a male family member participating in the organisation’s Men’s Behaviour Change Program.

Those women said they wanted opportunities to share in a safe space and to have access to education about relationships and skills for life.

“SistaCare is meeting a need for women in the community and is a bulwark against isolation,” CCWF CEO Anne-Marie Mioche said.

“Women attending the regular group sessions have an increased sense of belonging and greater self-confidence.

“The success of the program has prompted us to expand it to six new locations this month: Broken Hill, Cobar, Cowra, Nyngan, Warren and Wilcannia.”

CCWF Healthy Relationships delivery leader for SistaCare Rebecca Lee said the program had provided opportunities for connection and mutual support to participants since its launch at the first five locations.

“Women attending SistaCare have told us group participants are there for each other, that it’s a place they feel comfortable and accepted, that it’s uplifting and that they have learnt about different support available,” she said.

Local female team members facilitate the groups, which usually meet every fortnight and are open to all women.

“Peer support activities at SistaCare could include art therapy, journey journalling, vision boards, yarning circles and other recreational activities,” Ms Lee said.

“Education sessions focus on domestic and family violence, financial skills, women’s health topics, wellbeing, employment and other topics the group members choose as helpful for them to meet their goals.”

CCWF delivers a suite of programs to meet needs in western NSW communities, some of which include the Men’s Behaviour Change Program, Staying Home Leaving Violence, Specialist Homelessness Services, and the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence New Workers Program.

CCWF also organised the Hidden No More: Shining the Light on Domestic Violence in Rural Communities symposium at Narromine in November, which brought together more than 100 frontline workers, community leaders and advocates to put the spotlight on the realities of domestic violence in regional and remote NSW.

To find out more about SistaCare, contact CCWF on 1800 067 067.

Parents wanting to know how they can help their child be more resilient are in mind as CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes brings Happy Families podcast’s Dr Justin Coulson to western NSW in March.

Dr Coulson will deliver ‘Resilient Kids: Building Stronger Kids Through Life’s Challenges’ in evening sessions at Narromine, Parkes, Forbes and Condobolin.

The fun, interactive-style talks have been organised and funded by CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes (CCWF) and are free to attend.

Dr Coulson is well-known as the co-host and parenting expert on Channel Nine’s Parental Guidance and for his popular Happy Families podcast, which he co-hosts with wife Kylie.

He will return to western NSW next month after delivering a successful series of talks at CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes’s invitation in 2023.

In ‘Resilient Kids’, Dr Justin Coulson challenges the idea that childhood should be free from stress and struggle.

He argues that challenges are essential for growth and that parents can empower their children by allowing them to experience developmentally appropriate adversity while providing the right kind of support to help them overcome it.

CCWF Family and Relationship Services delivery leader Rebecca Lee encouraged mums, dads, grandparents and any caregivers in the community to attend.

“I attended Justin’s talks in our communities in 2023 and they were well-received and full of practical ideas,” Ms Lee said.

“He uses powerful stories and examples that everyone can relate to, and this session will show you how to support your child to cope positively with the challenges of life.”

The talks will take place from 5.30pm-7pm on:

• Monday March 2, 2026 at the Narromine High School hall
• Tuesday March 3, 2026 at the Parkes High School hall
• Wednesday March 4, 2026 at the Forbes North Public School hall
• Thursday March 5, 2026 at the Condobolin Public School hall

Interested community members are kindly requested to RSVP to assist with planning the event, and can find further details at: https://ccwf.org.au/events/

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes has brought together frontline workers, community advocates and leading voices to drill into the realities of domestic violence in regional, rural and remote NSW.

Hidden No More: shining the light on domestic violence in rural communities brought together more than 100 committed people as an important step towards lasting and practical change.

Its keynote speakers were NSW Women’s Safety Commissioner Dr Hannah Tonkin, the Hon. Stephen Lawrence MLC, author, professor and investigative journalist Jess Hill, NSW Police Incident and Emergency Management Commander Superintendent Greg Moore, and Magistrate Aaron Tang, Local Court of NSW.

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes team members from Broken Hill, Forbes, Narromine and Parkes were part of the program’s panel discussions, joined by other community leaders, frontline workers and advocates.

The Orana and Far West continues to record domestic violence-related assault rates more than three times the NSW average (BOCSAR June 2025).

In remote areas, women experience assault-related hospitalisations at 43 times the rate of women in major cities (AIHW May 2025).

“Those are statistics, but for our team, we see real women and children walking through the doors, and the damage domestic violence does to them,” CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes CEO Anne-Marie Mioche said after the symposium.

“The journey to safety is incredibly difficult, and support is often insufficient.

“We need systemic changes to give women the practical help they need.”

Ms Mioche said most of its domestic violence response services saw at least double the number of clients the organisation was funded for, and other providers faced similar pressures.

The vast area covered by CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes had the highest levels of disadvantage in the state, while at the same time, the further west in NSW, the fewer the services available, she said.

“We’re trying to protect women and their children in areas with very few services,” Ms Mioche said.

“Sometimes a woman fleeing violence must travel six hours by public transport to reach support that’s only one hour away by car.

“Services that are available in rural communities are often seeing two to three times the number of women they are funded to support.

“Policymakers may not see these barriers, but we must make them aware of these and they must be addressed, because they make our work far more difficult and the risks unacceptably high.”

Ms Mioche said she wanted both the federal and state governments to reassess funding allocations for regional and remote communities.

She urged investment in prevention strategies, including:

• more early intervention programs, for example, for teens to tackle attitudes
• programs for children dealing with domestic violence
• targeted support for men

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes is a provider of the Men’s Behaviour Change Program, which Ms Mioche describes as having “huge potential to transform behaviour”.

“For the men who really embrace the program, it is not unusual for them to participate again by choice,” she said.

“That’s real and practical change in a man and that’s an avenue out of violence.

“We need more programs like this, giving men the tools and strategies to stop that behaviour.”

Ms Mioche said out in the bush there was a tradition of self-help, and she highlighted the potential for community-led solutions, which could hold the keys to change.

She acknowledged CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes team members and other workers in the field, including police and lawmakers, saying it took courage and resilience to keep working in that sector.

“I know why we do it, we do it because we have hope, hope that we can change the outcome for that woman, for that child, and that one day, domestic violence can be diminished.

“And it’s hope that drives us to keep going.”

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes will bring together leading voices and frontline workers in domestic violence this month to uncover the realities of the issue across regional, rural and remote NSW.

‘Hidden No More: shining the light on domestic violence in rural communities’ will seek to drive lasting change when it takes place at Narromine on November 28.

Its keynote speakers are The Hon. Stephen Lawrence MLC, NSW Women’s Safety Commissioner Dr Hannah Tonkin, author, professor and investigative journalist Jess Hill, NSW Police Incident and Emergency Management Commander Superintendent Greg Moore, and Magistrate Aaron Tang, Local Court of New South Wales, Dubbo.

Orana and Far West had the highest rate per 100,000 population of domestic violence-related assaults in NSW in the year to June 2025, the latest update from NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) shows.

In Orana and Far West, domestic violence-related assaults have consistently occurred at more than three times the state rate per 100,000 population for at least the past two years, BOCSAR’s quarterly reports also show.

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes operates across 52 per cent of NSW and is a lead domestic violence service provider in Forbes and Bourke, also managing the women’s refuges in both towns.

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes CEO Anne-Marie Mioche said the extent of perpetration in regional and rural communities should not be ignored, noting that ways to address domestic and family violence in the bush differed considerably from metropolitan areas and required a specific approach.

“Levels of domestic violence continue to remain at unacceptable levels,” Ms Mioche said.

“Frontline workers are seeing firsthand what NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research reporting shows. Towns in western NSW, such as Moree and Walgett, report domestic and family violence levels over five times the state average. Women in very remote areas experience assault-related hospitalisations at 43.1 times the rate of women in major cities (AIHW, 2022–23).

“Women and children have a right to live in safety and without fear.

“Domestic violence causes deep and long-lasting emotional, social and financial effects on victim-survivors, their families and wider communities.”

Ms Mioche said the Hidden No More symposium would bring together community leaders, sector workers and advocates including Plus Communities, Bunmabunmarra, Maranguka, Western NSW Community Legal Centre and more, whose insights and experience were key to achieving effective and lasting change.

“Domestic violence is preventable and the Hidden No More symposium will bring the focus to the issue in regional and rural NSW, with a unified goal of improving the safety of women and children,” she said.

The 150+-capacity symposium, which will be MC’d by Emma Alberici, is already at full capacity, highlighting the collaborative and collegial commitment of regional frontline DFV service providers to drive meaningful, trauma- and survivor-led change.

NSW Australian of the Year and Kindness Factory founder Kath Koschel will share her extraordinary and uplifting story at a free event at Parkes this month.

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes is thrilled to invite the whole community to hear from Kath at its Mental Health Expo 2025, a powerful day of connection, education and inspiration.

The event will be held on Tuesday August 19, from 12pm to 1pm at the Cooke Park Pavilion.

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes Better Health and Wellbeing portfolio manager Kate Shambrook is encouraging the community to come to the expo, organised to shine a spotlight on mental health awareness, with a special keynote address from the remarkable Kath Koschel.

A resilience and gratitude advocate, Kath’s story of overcoming immense personal challenges has touched hearts across the world – more than 8.4 million acts of kindness have been logged with her Kindness Factory.

Ms Shambrook says Kath’s message is one of hope, courage, and the strength of the human spirit – a talk not to be missed.

“I truly believe this event is an opportunity for our community to come together, break down stigma, and have real conversations about mental health,” Ms Shambrook said.

“We’re incredibly honoured to have Kath Koschel join us — her journey will inspire and uplift anyone who hears it.”

In addition to the keynote address, there will be free refreshments, giveaways and local mental health organisations to chat to.

“Whether you’re looking for tools to support your own journey, resources to help others, or simply a moment to be inspired, this expo is for you,” Ms Shambrook said.

“Come be part of the movement toward a more open, supportive, and mentally healthy community.”

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes is delivering this free community event through its Family and Carer Mental Health Program.

To find out more, contact CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes on 1800 067 067.

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes (CCWF) will lose 41 per cent of its Financial Counselling and Financial Capability funding in the Far West and Orana region in an inexplicable decision by a federal government department.

CCWF chief executive officer Anne-Marie Mioche warns the funding cut will adversely affect vulnerable people in some of the most remote communities in NSW.

The organisation is seeking an urgent meeting with Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek.

“The decision is a real shock especially given the feedback we’ve had is that our service, which we have been delivering since 2009, is outstanding,” Ms Mioche said.

“We have consistently been praised by funders and communities for our innovative model that ensures people receive timely, high-quality support, even in the most remote locations.”

The tender outcomes awarded CCWF an unchanged level of funding for the Central West region, but less than 40 per cent of the funding available for the Far West and Orana, despite the organisation being the predominant provider in that region.

The funding decision will lead to major disruption in the provision of vital financial counselling across more than 22 communities in the vast Far West and Orana.

A service in demand, in the past financial year alone, CCWF provided financial counselling to 710 clients, 36 per cent of whom identified as Aboriginal, a critical indicator of the organisation’s reach and trust in communities where support is often hard to access.

“Our coverage across rural and remote NSW is unmatched,” Ms Mioche said.

“Wilcannia, Condobolin, Cobar, Nyngan and Bourke are among our 15 branch locations.

“We’re deeply embedded in these communities and our services are community-designed, which is exactly the kind of delivery model the government says it wants.”

Having had its financial counselling service gutted in the core Far West and Orana location, CCWF has been awarded funding for the Murray region, requiring it to expand to a new location with a significantly reduced overall budget and foundation.

“The decision to give us a new region but defund us where we’re already well established defies logic,” Ms Mioche said.

“I’ve spoken with other services affected by this decision, and they are just as dismayed.

“It does not make any sense.”

The funding cut comes after a nine-month wait for the tender outcome, leaving just eight weeks for CCWF to work through the impact on jobs and service transition.

“This isn’t just a contest about funding – this program is already severely underfunded with no increase in funding over the past decade,” Ms Mioche said.

“It is about poor decision making that will cause service chaos in areas where support is stretched so thin.”

While CCWF welcomes new providers to meet growing demand, Ms Mioche says new providers will take time to establish and recruit, meaning little to no service improvement for clients in the short term.

“We urge the Commonwealth Government to review this decision and engage with us to find a sustainable solution that protects frontline services and ensures vulnerable Australians are not left behind,” Ms Mioche said.

Clean out the closets, tidy the toy box and spare a tin of soup – a new project at Forbes is calling for donations to meet community need.

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes has launched its Care and Share Appeal to bring relief and dignity to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The organisation’s Safe Homes team is collecting donations of essential items at Forbes until July 31 for a ‘pop-up store’ for clients during Homelessness Week in August.

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes Safe Homes portfolio manager Michelle Hunt said while rough sleeping was one form of homelessness, other forms that were less visible included couchsurfing, short-term or temporary accommodation, and severe overcrowding.

“In 2023-24, more than 550 clients turned to our Forbes-Parkes team for support through the Specialist Homelessness Services program,” Mrs Hunt said.

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes Safe Homes Forbes-Parkes delivery leader Umima Austral said the appeal was about meeting more than physical needs.

“We plan to set up the collection of items like a real store to provide a warm, respectful experience for our clients,” Ms Austral said.

“People deserve a dignified and thoughtful experience while seeking support.

“We hope the community will jump on board and share good-quality items they no longer need or donate non-perishable food or toiletries to those who find themselves in need at this time.”

Donations can be brought to the organisation’s Forbes branch at 136 Lachlan Street until Thursday July 31.

Blankets, clothing and toys of a safe, clean and good-quality standard, as well as toiletries, non-perishable food and women’s health items are welcomed.

The CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes team will then prepare the pop-up store event for clients.

Homelessness Week starts on Monday August 4 and CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes will also mark the occasion with a family fun day for the community on Wednesday August 6 at Forbes Youth Action Centre from 11am to 2pm.

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes will also host a Homelessness Week event at Parkes on Monday August 4, featuring a slow cooked lunch, information display, vouchers and lucky door prizes.

A painting about domestic violence and a painting about families and western NSW have jointly won the 2025 CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes Aboriginal Art Competition.

The works of artists Maddison Hull of Parkes and Beverley Moore of Bourke equally impressed the judges, and both entrants have been awarded a $2000 first prize.

The competition was judged during NAIDOC Week by Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green, CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes chief executive officer Anne-Marie Mioche and CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes director cultural engagement Jane Kemp.

Ms Mioche said the two winning artworks were powerful creative works.

In More Than Meets The Eye, Maddison Hull’s subject is domestic violence.

“The intricate work features an eye, a red handprint and a tree,” Ms Mioche said.

“Writing about her artwork, Ms Hull says the handprint is either lives lost to domestic violence, or to show someone putting up their hand to no longer silence the violence, while the tree is to show the old connection to food, shelter and markers for stories, which survivors rely on to escape safely.

“Ms Hull says when looking at people, we never really know what’s going on until someone either speaks up or it’s too late, and the artwork’s eye shape is to give us an insight into a story we may not see or understand.”

Beverley Moore painted the visually striking CatholicCare – Families.

“Writing about her artwork, Ms Moore says the tree represents strength, its green leaves representing the families our organisation has worked with to support them to flourish,” Ms Mioche said.

“It also references the families across the vast Wilcannia-Forbes diocese, and the landscape in which they live, including the rivers that have sustained her people for thousands of years.

“Ms Moore says the painting’s white and black dots are ‘white and black peoples working together’.”

The judges also awarded second prize to two paintings – Corroboree by Sheldon Smith of Bourke, and Connecting to Country, also by Maddison Hull, and they will each receive a $1500 second prize.

Third prize of $500 was won by Mark Curry of Wilcannia with Frog Ponds.

Running for its fourth time, the CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes Aboriginal Art Competition attracted 14 entries from across western NSW in 2025.

The social support organisation established the competition in 2019 to generate opportunities and recognition for emerging Aboriginal artists.

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes (CCWF) is inviting all community members and service providers from the town to its Thank You, Forbes Community Event on Wednesday July 2.

The occasion is a small gesture of appreciation for all those the organisation has worked alongside since the 2022 flooding in the town and its surrounds.

At its worst in November 2022, the Lachlan River peaked at 10.7 metres at Forbes, flooding more than 700 residential and commercial properties in the town.

CCWF, in particular its Financial Stability team, has provided practical support and stood with community members as they negotiate the long-term and wide-ranging consequences of flooding in the 2.5 years since.

CCWF Financial Stability portfolio manager Louise Cormie said the organisation was holding the event to thank all the community members who had placed their trust in her team, as well as the service providers who had worked with them to provide support.

“We want to take a moment to say thank you, and celebrate the wonderful people in our community as they work towards recovery,” Mrs Cormie said.

“We are grateful to be part of this community, and want the community to know we are with them for the long journey of recovery from natural disaster.

“Flood-affected residents can continue to contact our financial counsellors for support, advocacy and referrals.”

The event, to be held in the Forbes Town Hall from 11am-2pm, will include a barbecue meal, fruit platters and soft drinks, and a gift for every attendee, as well as lucky door prizes.

Forbes Shire Council’s GIVIT team and the Disaster Response Legal Service will also be attending and ready to support community members.

“We are looking forward to coming together with the community for a relaxed and enjoyable event on July 2,” Mrs Cormie said.