The rising number of domestic violence-related incidents led delegates from the Country Women's Association (CWA) NSW to pass an urgency motion on measures to help counter rising rates of domestic and family violence on Tuesday 7 May. 

The motion includes a call to have sustainable and ongoing funding for services for victims of domestic violence. 

"That's particularly important in regional, rural, and remote areas where there are very limited services available," Yvette Smith CWA State Executive Member for Darling River from the Broken Hill branch said. 

In Central West NSW, domestic-violence-related assaults have been up 3.2 percent over the five years, according to the NSW recorded crime statistics. 

The CWA's motion comes just over two weeks after a man out on bail for charges of rape, stalking, and intimidation murdered a 28-year-old woman in Forbes, NSW. 

The CWA called to make it more difficult for domestic violence offenders to be released on bail. 

"At the moment, the presumption of bail for people who commit domestic violence offenses is in favour of them, to let them back out into society. Not for us to show the police or courts why they shouldn't be bailed. We want them to be able to prove they should have a legitimate reason for being out on bail." Ms. Smith said. 

 Anyone impacted by domestic can request an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) which orders the perpetrator to not assault, molest, harass, intimidate, or stalk the protected person.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 28 percent of family and domestic violence offenders in NSW breached their violence and non-violence orders in the 2022-2023 financial year. 

"AVOs are effective, but they are only as effective as the person who is getting protected by them in making sure that they ring the police and the authorities when there has been a breach so that they can have that recorded and have the offender charged," Ms. Smith said.

The CWA is also pushing for a national register where anyone can look up for themselves or a loved one if someone has been charged with a domestic violence offence, or has had an AVO taken out against them. 

"People can see whether or not the person that they're intending to get into a relationship with has any prior convictions," Ms. Smith said. 

On Wednesday 8 May, the CWA also discussed a ban on all alcohol advertising during sports events. Alcohol, along with other drugs and gambling can be a trigger for domestic violence perpetrators, according to the CWA. 

"There is always alcohol within one of the sponsorships, So, we want there to be a ban on all alcohol advertising within sports and sponsorship," Ms. Smith said.