Recognising the vital contributions of the Victims of Crime Assistance League (VOCAL)

Today in Parliament, Abigail passed a motion in Parliament commending the work of the Victims of Crime Assistance League (VOCAL) who support and empower thousands of victim-survivors across the Newcastle and Hunter region to navigate the criminal justice system, through trauma-informed support, advocacy and expert guidance.

Abigail said:

I move:

(1) That this House notes that:

Victims of Crime Assistance League (VOCAL) is a community-based organisation working across nine Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the Newcastle and Hunter region with the mission of “shaping the future by validating, honouring and empowering victims of crime”,
VOCAL has been a trusted and essential part of the Newcastle and Hunter region for more than 35 years, providing wrap-around trauma-informed support, advocacy, and expert guidance to victims navigating all stages of the criminal justice system,
as the only service in NSW that supports people of all genders and all violent crime types including homicide, serious assault, sexual assault, domestic and family violence, serious road crime and missing persons, VOCAL fills a unique gap for many victims who would otherwise have nowhere else to turn,
VOCAL operates a Victim Support Unit which is partially funded by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (via Victims Services) and provides free, individualised support to victims of crime,
since 2021, VOCAL has been delivering a Police Co-Location Program that receives no government funding; through which victims can access immediate, trauma-informed support at the critical point of reporting their crime to Police, which is critical in ensuring victims are not alone during one of the most vulnerable and confronting moments of their journey toward justice,
VOCAL has seen a 36.7 percent increase in referrals over the last five years, currently receiving over 2,000 referrals per year which equates to at least one referral every hour,
reports of sexual assault have increased across regional NSW by 47% between 2019 and 2023, with the Hunter among the areas reporting the highest rates,
over the ten years to June 2024, sexual assault incidents in NSW increased by more than 107%, with all 13 regional areas including the Hunter experiencing this,
despite the significant increase in sexual assault reports, conviction rates remain low: in 2022, only 1,016 of the 9,138 sexual assault incidents reported state-wide led to convictions, highlighting the traumatic burden many victims carry throughout the criminal justice process,
in a 2023 report by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), it was noted that victims in regional NSW face greater delays in accessing support services and navigating the justice system, further exacerbating trauma and reducing reporting rates,
despite these rising trends, regional and Hunter-based services like VOCAL often receive significantly less funding per capita than those in metropolitan areas, creating service gaps and inequitable access to justice for victims in these areas,
services like VOCAL are vital in providing the specialised, trauma-informed support needed to help victim-survivors navigate this complex and often retraumatising system, and
in addition to providing specialist frontline services, VOCAL consistently advocates for system-wide change to improve victim-survivors’ access to justice, safety and recovery, including advocating for victims’ rights, safer, trauma-informed and more responsive services, and equity in regional funding and access to services.

(2) That this House commends the work of VOCAL in supporting and empowering thousands of victim-survivors across the Newcastle and Hunter region to navigate the criminal justice system, through trauma-informed support, advocacy and expert guidance.

Motion agreed to.

Read the transcript in Hansard here.

5 June 2025

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

No matter who you are or what you do, everyone has the right to share in the wellbeing of our country.

But at the moment the essentials so many of us need – a place to call home, food on the table, and everyday essentials like electricity, internet, medicine and water – are simply out of reach.

Instead of supporting us, our government is choosing to prop up huge corporations with massive subsidies, and to give away our collective wealth through record tax cuts for the wealthy. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to live paycheck to paycheck or trapped in the dehumanising bureaucracy of our existing welfare system.

Now, in the midst of a pandemic, and following quickly on the heels of the bushfire crisis, more of us than ever before are experiencing what it’s like to lose our jobs, be without a home, or worry about where the food for our next meal will come from.

It’s time for us to choose to prioritise the wellbeing of everyone.

And that’s exactly what the Universal Wellbeing Payment will do.

It’s a regular payment made to each of us to ensure our minimum standard of wellbeing. No means testing, no bureaucracy, no strings attached.

It’s the amount you’re owed simply for being a participant in our society.

It means you are free to live your life and contribute to society as you see fit, whether you’re a carer, an artist, a student, a parent, an entrepreneur – you can get on with what you need to do, knowing that you will always be supported regardless of your income.

It means that we’re choosing to structure our economy for the benefit of all of us, not using our collective wealth to prop up the interests of big business and the wealthy few.

It means you will always have what you need to live a good life, no matter what.

The Universal Wellbeing Payment is for everyone. Help us make it happen.

For more information, head to universalwellbeingpayment.com.au

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Recognising the vital contributions of the Victims of Crime Assistance League (VOCAL)

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

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