While the tragic death of Molly Ticehurst has shone a spotlight on the region's scourge of domestic violence, the issue is not new.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Dubbo Violence Prevention Collective (DVPC) chair Angela Coker said the problem has been going on for "years".
"We know how many women are killed every year from violent perpetrators," she told the Daily Liberal.
"You just have to look at the statistics. It's not great. Domestic and family violence is never acceptable."
According to data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, the Dubbo local council area was ranked 7th in the State for domestic violence related assault in 2023.
In the same year, five of the ten local government areas with the highest number of incidents were in the Orana and the Central West regions.
Ms Coker has welcomed recently announced funding injections from the NSW and federal governments but said it's a shame that it's taken a widely-reported tragedy to spark action.
"This 28 year old girl in Forbes has ignited such a reaction from governments, the community and the media... that will be her legacy," Ms Coker said.
"I'm a Forbes girl born and bred so I know how angry and sad the community is and the fact it's had such far-reaching effects is just amazing.
"It's a shame it's taken a tragedy and her passing to ignite that."
Women's Safety Commissioner to visit Dubbo
The DVPC is a collection of services in Dubbo who work to increase awareness about domestic violence and encourage the community to be involved in identifying it and bringing it to an end.
A key event on their calendar is the annual From Violence to Safety conference. The event gives locals the opportunity to learn from experts about how to best tackle domestic violence.
This year the event is being held in the Savannah Room at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo on Tuesday, June 4.
"There'll be a lot of domestic violence related agencies and non-government and government agencies attending, so they'll take away some information and it's an opportunity for them to network as well," Ms Coker said.
Presenting a keynote address at the conference will be the state's inaugural Women's Safety Commissioner, Dr Hannah Tonkin.
"Her role is to provides leadership and oversight across the whole of the NSW Government to strengthen responses to domestic family and sexual violence," Ms Coker said.
"I emailed her back in January and just asked her if she could speak at the conference and she said that she needed to come out to Dubbo anyway.
"She's been in the thick of it in the media giving interviews, so we'll be privileged to have her as our keynote speaker."
Conference attendees will also hear from leaders from the NSW Police, Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services, NSW Community Corrections and victim survivors.
Topics which will be discussed include government and sector responses to address violence in NSW, apprehended domestic violence orders, Safety Action Meetings and Domestic Violence Electronic Monitoring.
Tickets for the event can be purchased via 123Tix, with registration open till Tuesday, May 21.
