December 2013
Women and Mentoring: Report on Regional and Outer Urban Options
PRODUCED BY MARGARET FRIED FOR WOMEN AND MENTORING PTY LTD
Table of Contents
Background ...... 3 The project brief ...... 3 Recommendation ...... 4 Mentoring model ...... 4 Overview of findings ...... 4 Identifying Disadvantage ...... 4 Using SEIFA to identify disadvantaged regions within Victoria ...... 6 Location, Population and Volunteering ...... 7 Location and Access to Travel/ Public Transport and other services ...... 7 Women and crime ...... 9 WAM participant profile ...... 10 Crime rates in selected regions of Victoria ...... 10 Family Violence ...... 12 Indigenous Women ...... 14 Cultural and Linguistic Diversity ...... 14 Legal and Community Service Organisations by Local Government Area ...... 15 Colocation with existing services ...... 15 Therapeutic Jurisprudence ...... 15 Expanding WAM operations ...... 16 Recommendation ...... 17 Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas (RRMA) classification ...... 18 GREATER DANDENONG ...... 19 CENTRAL GOLDFIELDS ...... 20 BRIMBANK...... 21 LODDON MALLEE...... 22 LATROBE ...... 23 PYRENEES...... 24 GREATER SHEPPARTON ...... 25 ARARAT...... 26 BALLARAT...... 27 MORNINGTON PENINSULA...... 28 GREATER BENDIGO...... 29 BIBLIOGRAPHY...... 30
2 Background The Women and Mentoring Program (WAM) is delivered by a small not for profit group currently operating from the Neighbourhood Justice Centre in Collingwood. WAM provides mentoring to vulnerable adult women charged with an offence, or at risk, in the City of Yarra. The WAM program was established by a small not for profit organization, The Wellington Collingwood Inc., who undertook research which determined the particular service gap. Modest funding to commence a pilot program in the City of Yarra was gained through the efforts of a local community reference group, a paid worker employed, the operating model developed, volunteers recruited and trained and work began. A year into the trial WAM was offered accommodation and considerable in kind support from the Neighbourhood Justice Centre (NJC) in Collingwood. This has been of considerable benefit. It has given WAM a presence within the justice system, enhanced referral pathways and supported further development of the model. WAM however is a relative newcomer in the area of social service delivery. It has been an innovative program incubated in part in the innovative environment of the NJC. In 2012 Effective Change Pty Ltd undertook an evaluation of WAM. The findings identified WAM as a unique and low cost approach to providing community based mentoring and support to women at the point of being charged: The evaluation also found that the model should be further tested in another location. The evaluation noted that the WAM program could gain greater strength if it moved to a “stronger infrastructure base, potentially through a consortium of agencies with a common interest in ‘making a difference’, and experience working with the specific target groups.” 1
The project brief This report discusses the potential location for a regional or outer urban WAM program using the recommendations in the Evaluation as a guide to testing the options. The Evaluation noted that as a crime prevention strategy, the mentoring of women in the criminal justice system was cheaper than their incarceration. Mentoring programs are an effective way of changing individual lives and building stronger communities. This report explores regional and outer urban options because of the relative lack of services in these areas as well as demonstrable need. Need is identified through a number of variables including demographic factors, the existence of disadvantage, crime rates and degree of social cohesion. It is also important that the location for the next WAM program offers potentially supportive or collaborative relationships. It is not possible to replicate the unique environment of the NJC, and in the long term it is not viable for the success of the program to be predicated on this model. However good partnerships could enable the modest resources of WAM to be used to greater impact and a predisposition to therapeutic jurisprudence would support referrals. Such factors are less easily calculated objectively but may be given some weight based on the judgment of the program coordinators after consultation with stakeholders in the shortlisted area.
1 Evaluation of the Women and Mentoring Program, Effective Change produced by Clare Keating 2012 p. 41. Recommendation It is recommended that either Latrobe or Greater Shepparton be selected as locations for the next WAM program. Community Development work in both locations would determine the choice of one of these. The crime rates in Shepparton and Latrobe indicate there is a cohort of women who have been charged with criminal offences that may benefit from a mentoring type program. The regional location suggests that volunteers may be more easily recruited than in the city. Regional locations in general lack adequate support services. Family violence occurs at a higher incidence in regional areas than in urban environment.
Mentoring model Mentoring is about transformation. Casual mentoring exists in society in a number of different contexts from the workplace to the home, between managers and recent graduates, to mothers with newborn babies and more experienced parents. However as a crime prevention strategy there has been little evaluation of its effectiveness. Most of the research concerns youth mentoring programs. The general observation, as stated in the Evaluation, is that mentoring can reduce re-offending. Mentoring is also a type of outreach service because it happens away from an office; the WAM program complements legal services because it supports women during their interactions with the court. WAM links women with volunteer adult women who act as a positive resource, without judgment, helping them to get their lives back on track. Support extends beyond the hearing date and also helps justice professionals in their dealings with hard to reach women clients.
Overview of findings The evidence of need for the new location for the WAM program is based primarily on the existence of justice services and the level of socio economic disadvantage and criminality. Other factors such as community service organisations, availability of potential volunteers and access to transport networks are also important. Higher levels of disadvantage are located in regional and rural Victoria as well as in outer urban Melbourne. In choosing between regional or outer urban locations, greater weight was given to regional Victoria because of persistent long-term disadvantage and inequity in relation to access to services. Furthermore local government areas such as Shepparton and Latrobe have higher levels of volunteering than urban areas, suggesting availability of potential mentors. However the selection of location is the first step for the program in building relationships and referral pathways that will develop the credibility of the WAM as an effective crime prevention program targeted to the specific needs of women.
Identifying Disadvantage It is generally accepted that much small-scale crime occurs as a result of disadvantage. Longitudinal studies have frequently linked inequality, poverty and unemployment to higher crime rates. The purpose of this report is to identify potential locations for the WAM program. The WAM program supports women involved in the criminal justice system. Therefore the first step is to identify localities with
4 WOMEN AND MENTORING: REPORT ON REGIONAL AND OUTER URBAN OPTIONS characteristics that match the WAM target group of clients, adult women offenders, whilst also providing adult women as mentors. Locations have been limited to areas within 200 km of Melbourne due to the difficulty of implementing and managing the program or developing relationships from afar. The report has identified metropolitan, rural and regional areas with pre-existing justice services, notably Magistrates Courts and police because the program objectives are contingent upon interaction with the justice system. Whilst rural and regional disadvantage is not confined to larger regional towns, courts and police tend to be co-located and their situation may reflect historic circumstances rather than any demographic or scientific analysis. The existing support services tend to follow this pattern of distribution. In recent years there have been a number of studies examining spatially concentrated disadvantage in rural and regional Australia. Spatial disadvantage acknowledges that disadvantage may be geographic and leads to place-based policy initiatives. The latest available evidence in the Australian Productivity Commission Report shows that: • Deprivation is highest in large towns and rural areas and lowest in the inner city. Residents of rural areas report the highest rates of service exclusion — particularly in relation to medical and dental services, access to childcare services and financial services. Residents of the inner city report higher rates of exclusion from aged care and disability support services compared with residents in other locations • The highest prevalence of persistent and deep exclusion is recorded by Australians living in outer regional areas, followed by those in inner regional areas and major cities • Australians residing in more disadvantaged areas experience much higher rates of chronic disease and mental health problems and the most disadvantaged regions are characterised by higher rates of unemployment, people dependent on income support and children living in jobless families. 2
Postcode Justice, a report into Rural and Regional disadvantage in the administration of the law in Victoria identified a ‘myriad of factors that created disadvantage for rural and regional Victorians using justice services.’ 3 This included the lack of support and rehabilitation services in regional courts, making the application of therapeutic jurisprudence and a problem solving courts model less prevalent. There are a number of different tools for assessing the wellbeing of communities. This Report uses the Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (commonly known as SEIFA) created by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). SEIFA is a continuum of advantage (high values) to disadvantage (low values), and is derived from Australian census variables related to both advantage and disadvantage. This report uses the Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage which focuses primarily on disadvantage. A higher score on the index means a lower level of disadvantage. A
2 McLachlan, R., Gilfillan, G. and Gordon, J. 2013, Deep and Persistent Disadvantage in Australia, rev., Productivity Commission Staff Working Paper, Canberra p.13. 3 Postcode Justice, a report into Rural and Regional disadvantage in the Administration of the Law in Victoria by Richard Coverdale, Deakin Univerisity, Centre for Rural Regional Law and Justice July 2011. 5 lower score on the index means a higher level of disadvantage. The variables include low income, low educational attainment, unemployment and dwellings without the internet or motor vehicles.
Using SEIFA to identify disadvantaged regions within Victoria Figure 1 identifies twelve locations within a 200 km radius of Melbourne with low SEIFA scores representative of higher levels of socio economic disadvantage. Dandenong is the local government area (LGA) with more disadvantage than any other LGA in Victoria. Ballarat and Bendigo are notable because the Magistrates Courts service nearby areas that also have significant disadvantage.
Figure 1 Socio-economic disadvantaged localities in Victoria within 200 km of Melbourne. Local SEIFA Score Rank Small Areas/Towns and Closest Magistrates Government or relative within the SEIFA Score or Court or Justice Service Area socio- Victoria relative socio-economic Centre economic disadvantage or rank disadvantage within Victoria Dandenong Dandenong Greater 894.9 1 Doveton 840.4 Dandenong Keysborough Maryborough Ballarat/Ararat Central 904.6 2 Avoca Goldfields Dunolly Keilor Broadmeadows/Sunshine Brimbank 925.8 3 Keilor Downs Deer Park Loddon Wedderburn Bendigo 934.1 4 Mallee Inglewood Moe Morwell/Moe LaTrobe 939.7 7 Morwell Avoca Bendigo/Ballarat Pyrenees 939.9 8 Beaufort Ararat South 922.8 Ballarat Ararat 950.5 11 Ararat North 928.1 Greater Shepparton Shepparton 951.9 13 Shepparton Maroopna Kyabram (West) 926.5 Shepparton/Echuca Campaspe 964.1 20 Echuca (Central - East) 927.9 Ballarat 980.8 29 Wendouree Ballarat Greater Bendigo 983.1 31 Long Gully 863 Bendigo Hastings Frankston/Dromana Mornington 1022.5 59 Rosebud Peninsula Rye-Tootgarook Source ABS 2011 Census data
Campaspe is excluded from further analysis. It is 223 km from Melbourne and although connected to services delivered in the Shepparton region, its location on the border of NSW makes it geographically the most remote of the LGAs in figure 1.
6 WOMEN AND MENTORING: REPORT ON REGIONAL AND OUTER URBAN OPTIONS
Location, Population and Volunteering Figure 2 below groups LGAs into regions and shows that outside metropolitan Melbourne, Bendigo has the largest population of the potential locations for the service. Using the Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas (RRMA) standard, Bendigo is classified as a regional centre, RRMA 2; Ballarat has a marginally smaller population and is a rural zone RRMA 3, as are Morwell and Shepparton. But population size alone does not determine the location of the program. Due to the very small size of the WAM program and infrastructure it may be better for WAM to consider locations outside the metropolitan region where it is easier to develop the relationships that are central to the program. Furthermore, the WAM program is delivered by volunteers. Therefore the area for the new service should have access to potential volunteers. As Figure 2 reveals, Dandenong has the highest level of socio-economic disadvantage in Victoria, but like Brimbank there are low levels of volunteering, well below the state average. There are higher levels of volunteering reported in rural and regional Victoria than in outer urban Melbourne. Volunteering is indicative of the higher levels of social cohesion in rural communities. Regional centres like Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton and Morwell have established community networks that could be used to solicit interest from potential volunteers through their newsletters (for example CAE bookgroups, local choirs etc). Tertiary institutions exist across the regions including The University of Melbourne (Dookie Campus and Rural Health Academic Centre), La Trobe University, Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE (GOTAFE) and the new Federation University Australia
Location and Access to Travel/ Public Transport and other services Regional centres are disadvantaged regarding access to justice services. This has been increasingly recognised by government and policy makers. The Postcode Justice Report commented on anecdotal concerns about greater inequity in availability of sentencing options in regional areas, as well as geographic barriers as an impediment to accessing justice services. Geographic barriers were also raised by several respondents to the Productivity Commission Access to Justice Issues Paper. The Indigenous Legal Needs Project emphasised the need for flexibility in service delivery. The submission commented on the difficulty of using public transport with many children in tow and noted that women do not necessarily have cars. Indigenous people haven’t got their own transport and they rely on getting picked up by our organisation’s bus... (Transport is something that)... we take for granted. You know, it’s just not that easy. (Indigenous community organisation worker) It’s often basic things like getting clients to appointments, getting the clients to the same location as us at the same time. They often need a support worker that can help with transport and we send text reminders and reminders and ring and often it’s simply having a telephone that is funded with credit. (Legal Aid staff) I suppose that’s another part of being discriminated against - and not just Indigenous people but for people who are homeless or (who)... are on benefits only... Some services say, ‘Give us a call this time or that time.’ People don’t have access to phones. Or they’ll get here whatever time. And people don’t
7 have access to transport. (Community organisation worker). 4 The Final Report and Evaluation of the Court Integrated Services Program in December 2009 identified that access to services was an important issue in the Latrobe Valley where referrals to the program had exceeded demand by 50%. Geographical barriers to access by clients are an important issue for the Latrobe Valley site. Many defendants at the Morwell Court come from communities where only limited public transport access is available. The court also sits at other sites in Gippsland like Korumburra, Wonthaggi and Bairnsdale where the program is not available. Some of the referral services available to the program are also located in other communities in the valley, and again this can mean that clients find it difficult to access these on a regular basis . 5 To extrapolate, the location WAM selects must have public transport networks. Furthermore WAM volunteer mentors may also be expected to help mentees get to appointments and court hearings 6. Based on geographic impediments and unmet need, WAM may be able to develop a strong argument for funding to operate the program in a regional area compared to outer urban Melbourne.
Figure 2 LGA grouped by location and selected features Town/City and LGA Population Volunteering Volunteering Public Driving Location 2011 ABS DPCD data ABS Census Transport distance census 2008 40.8% of data 2011 from Women/Total persons in Victoria Melbourne Victoria 17.7% did reported voluntary helping as a work volunteer 7 Outer Urban
10,630 Train or Greater Dandenong 67,084/135,605 21.9% 35.2 km 9.6% Bus 13,325 Train or Sunshine/Brimbank 91,392/182,735 19.9% 14.3 km 9% Bus Train to Rosebud/Mornington 21,912 74,566/144,608 36.9% Frankston 93.4 km Peninsula 18.6% and Bus Bendigo Region
17,395 Train or Greater Bendigo 51,841/100,617 31.9% 153 km 21.5% Bus 2,477 Train or Ararat 5,483/11,183 48.1% 205 km 26.9% Bus
4 The civil and family law needs of Indigenous people in Victoria Melanie Schwartz, Fiona Allison, Chris Cunneen A report of the Australian Indigenous Legal Needs Project in association with Larissa Behrendt and the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning. 5 Evaluation of the Court Integrated Services Program: Final Report, December 2009 Melbourne Criminological Research and Evaluation p 64. 6 Recruitment of regional mentors should state that a driver’s license is desirable. 7 Volunteering was measured in the 2008 Department of Planning & Community Development survey. Respondents were asked whether or not they helped out as a volunteer. It was also mentioned in the 2011 ABS Census where respondents were asked if they did voluntary work through an organisation or group in the last 12 months. 8 WOMEN AND MENTORING: REPORT ON REGIONAL AND OUTER URBAN OPTIONS
Town/City and LGA Population Volunteering Volunteering Public Driving Location 2011 ABS DPCD data ABS Census Transport distance census 2008 40.8% of data 2011 from Women/Total persons in Victoria Melbourne Victoria 17.7% did reported voluntary helping as a work volunteer 7 Maryborough/Central 2,393 Train or 6,293/12,496 44.8% 170 km Goldfields 23.0% Bus Train to Dunolly/Loddon 2,103 3,649/7,459 58.3% Bendigo 192 km Mallee 34.1% and Bus Ballarat
15,400 Train or Ballarat 48,622/93,501 38.5% 114 km 20.4% Bus Train to 1,567 Beaufort/Pyrenees 3,241/6,669 49.6% Ballarat 161 km 28.4% and Bus Morwell 10,408 Train or Morwell/LaTrobe 37,031/72,396 36% 150 km 17.9% Bus Shepparton 9,341 Train or Greater Shepparton 30,567/60,449 38% 191 km 19.7% Bus Source ABS 2011 Census data
Residents of regional areas are more disadvantaged in terms of access to goods, a wide range of services, employment, education and income. Therefore with the evidence of need and women offenders potentially requiring support in the early stages of contact with the criminal justice system, consideration can be given to a regional location. In the longer term WAM may consider expanding the program to Dandenong, Brimbank or the Mornington Peninsula depending on the model.
Women and crime Research indicates that women and men offenders have different characteristics and their pathways to criminality are different. Women’s offending tends to involve possession of drugs and small property offences. The Evaluation found that the rationale for the Women and Mentoring Program was consistent with the criminological research. A 2009 study undertaken by the Australian Institute of Criminology found that: female detainees were more likely to use ‘hard’ drugs and to have been arrested for a property crime. The relationship between experiences of mental illness, drug use and arrest was also stronger for female detainees. The study also found a strong relationship, mediated by gender, between drug use, offending and prior experience of child abuse, with the relationship being stronger among female detainees. It is suggested that mental health care be considered as a measure to reduce recidivism, and that programs designed for male offenders may not be
9 suitable for addressing women offenders’ needs, which also tend to be more complex. 8
The number of women offenders is increasing. Crime statistics are produced annually by Victoria Police. Summaries of offences are reported per 100,000 population to enable comparisons across different areas. Crime statistics influence community perception of safety and well-being. Crime statistics also assist in identifying the possible location of WAM as a crime prevention program. A gendered breakdown of offences in the LGAs examined in this report was requested of Victoria Police, and is shown in Figure 4 below. In the recorded crime statistics published by Victoria Police for 2012/13, women are 18% of overall offenders. The largest proportion of women offenders was in the 30- 59 age group; this increased by 19.3% from the previous year to 16,212. Unlike previous years, the Victoria Police statistics published for 2012/13 do not report on the breakdown of offenders by gender, offence type and racial characteristic. However in 2011/12, Victoria Police statistics reported that in comparison to other offences, higher numbers of Asian and Caucasian women were charged with theft from a shop (Asian - 453 and Caucasian - 4,839) and higher numbers of Aboriginal women were charged with assault (421). In 2012/13, women were over half (51.6%) of all victims of crime against the person; 76.9% were victims of assault and 19% were victims of rape and sex offences. Women are often both offenders and victims.
WAM participant profile The Evaluation provides data about the women participating in the WAM program during the two year pilot. It found that of the 11 women mentored, theft or shoplifting was the most frequent charge. 9 The majority of participants were aged between 30- 40, were from an Anglo Australian background and had children, some of whom were in care. Consistent with other research the program participants experienced a range of other problems including alcohol, drug and mental health issues and experience of family violence and abuse.
Crime rates in selected regions of Victoria Figure 3 below enables some comparison of overall crime (men and women) between Bendigo, Latrobe and Shepparton. Consistent with statewide trends, there was a significant increase in possession of drugs in Shepparton (36%), Latrobe (41.2%) and Bendigo (28%) although property crime decreased in both Shepparton and Bendigo,. Both Latrobe and Shepparton have crime rates that exceed the Victorian average.
8 Mental health, abuse, drug use and crime: does gender matter? Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 384 Lubica Forsythe and Kerryn Adams ISSN 1836-2206 Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, November 2009.
9 Evaluation of the Women and Mentoring Program , Final Report prepared by Clare Keating, Effective Change Pty Ltd February 2012 p 24. 10 WOMEN AND MENTORING: REPORT ON REGIONAL AND OUTER URBAN OPTIONS
Figure 3 LGA Selected and property and drug offences Source: Number of offences Rate per 100,000 population Victoria Police crime statistics 2012/13 LGA 2011/12 2012/13 % change 2011/12 2012/13 % change
BENDIGO 6,559 7,779 18.6 6,438.7 7,512.3 16.7
Crimes Against 4,020 4,532 12.7 3,946.3 4376.6 10.9 Property Theft (shop) 418 345 -17.5 410.3 333.2 -18.8
Drug (poss & 155 203 31.0 152.2 196.0 28.8 use)
LATROBE 8,826 9,845 11.5 11,997.7 13,363.3 11.4 Crimes Against 4,948 5,119 3.5 6,726.1 6,948.4 3.3 Property Theft (shop) 408 582 42.6 554.6 790.0 42.4 Drug (poss & 232 328 41.4 315.4 445.2 41.2 use)
SHEPPARTON 6,062 5,771 -4.8 9,819.1 9,260.3 -5.7 Crimes Against 3,841 3,172 -17.4 6,221.6 5,089.9 -18.2 Property Theft (shop) 309 292 -5.5 500.5 468.5 -6.4 Drug (poss & 290 400 37.9 469.7 641.8 36.6 use)
VICTORIA 393,018 406,497 3.4 7,043.2 7,157.1 1.6 Crimes Against 266,871 263,577 -1.2 4,782.6 4,640.7 -3.0 Property Theft (shop) 19,861 20,673 4.1 355.9 364.0 2.3 Drug (poss & 14,009 16,206 15.7 251.1 285.3 13.7 use)
In 2012/13 there were nearly 40% more drug offences recorded by Victoria Police than in 2003/04. The most commonly possessed drug was cannabis (43.4%) and the largest percentage increase was in amphetamine offences (32.8%). Heroin use was down 10% 10 . At the same time the police statistics recorded a decrease in property offences. Women are more typically charged with theft, assault and drug offences. Figure 4 shows the raw number of offenders by gender, charged in 11 local government areas. In 2012/13, Latrobe had the highest number of women (796) processed for the selected offences followed by Ballarat (411), Bendigo (389) and Shepparton (325) 11 .
10 Crime Statistics 2012/13 produced by Corporate Statistics, Victoria Police www.police.vic.gov.au. 11 Note in 2011/12 the ranking of females charged with selected offences was slightly different - Latrobe 631, Bendigo 312, Ballarat 210 and Shepparton 292 . 11 Figure 4 Offenders by Gender and LGA
Family Violence The submission to the Productivity Commission Access to Justice Enquiry made by Women’s Health in the North said “women in rural areas are more likely to be economically dependent on their male partners, partly due to the conservative, family-centric values often present in rural areas which increase the likelihood of men controlling family finances. Additionally, women in rural areas are more likely to experience difficulties in accessing legal services, lawyers and courts due their geographic isolation. Family violence services, including courts, police, crisis housing/refuges and childcare are much less common than in metropolitan areas, and rural women are less likely to be aware that such services are available”. 12 Looking at Figure 5 below, Latrobe has the highest rate of reported family violence incidents in Victoria. Ballarat, Bendigo and Shepparton have more family violence incidents than the State average. Reported family violence incidents have been increasing since the introduction of the Code of Practice for the Investigation of Family Violence in August 2004, and legislative change brought about by the Family Violence Protection Act 2008.
12 Women’s Health in the North, with Women’s Health Goulburn and Berry Street, have been funded for a three- year project to improve women’s access to justice through the use of Skype technology. Skype allows women to consult a specialist lawyer at the Womens Legal Service. The project includes research to document the reason women need this service and how their access to justice is severely limited by a range of factors including financial (including restrictions on Legal Aid), geographic, and compromised personal resources through the violence directed to them and their children. 12 WOMEN AND MENTORING: REPORT ON REGIONAL AND OUTER URBAN OPTIONS
Children are frequently present during an incident of family violence in increasing numbers at all locations. Community services organisations such as Anglicare have a presence in most regional areas and are involved in providing support to women and families to resolve family conflict.
Figure 5 Family violence - raw numbers and rate by 100,000 population
Where Where Where Where safety Rate per Family ivo 13 LGA charges children notice Ivo+sn* 100,000 incidents applied laid present (sn) pop for issued
BALLARAT 2008/09
893 332 286 279 15 294 983.935 2009/10 925 328 354 274 12 286 1,002.319 2010/11 1,107 338 420 283 38 321 1,181,708 2011/12 1,499 599 622 451 18 469 1,581.831 2012/13 1,668 662 576 503 13 516 1,724
GREATER 2008/09 BENDIGO 629 143 288 131 67 198 913.232 2009/10 649 134 306 89 83 172 983.935 2010/11 750 239 350 121 85 206 1,002.319 2011/12 1,161 318 507 119 117 236 1,181.708 2012/13 1,546 649 533 179 112 291 1,493
LATROBE 2008/09
938 344 381 163 98 261 1,291.495 2009/10 1,018 369 401 136 105 241 1,396.12 2010/11 1,239 503 523 189 82 271 1,691.886 2011/12 1,810 916 708 356 142 498 2,461.802 2012/13 1,993 1,049 711 364 208 572 2,705.2 GREATER 2008/09 SHEPPARTON 612 114 250 95 58 153 1,013.53 2009/10 560 119 251 38 127 165 915.227 2010/11 604 114 266 51 113 164 980.663 2011/12 702 226 283 85 87 172 1,156.519 2012/13 1,243 573 436 155 121 276 1,614.9 VICTORIA Total 60,829 1,071.0
Corporate Statistics, Victoria Police extracted from LEAP 18 July 2013 and subject to variation
13 * According to Section 31 of the Family Violence Protection Act 2008, a family violence safety notice (FVSN) is taken to be an application for a family violence intervention order (IVO). Victoria Police keeps separate statistics on IVOs and FVSNs so no double counting occurs, however for an accurate picture of IVOs in an area, the two figures have been combined.Note that family violence safety notices were introduced on 8 December 2008.
13 Indigenous Women Figure 6 below shows that Shepparton has the highest indigenous population of the three LGAs. Shepparton has the highest indigenous population in the State after Melbourne. However Victoria has a smaller number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders compared to other states. In each LGA the percentage of Indigenous residents is greater than the Victorian average. Figure 6 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) population and work status Indigenous Total indigenous women and % Ratio of work status to indigenous population and % Town/LGA of indigenous population of population of population LGA Morwell/Latrobe 542 51.5% % unemployed 16.4 1,055 or 1.5% % labour force participation 44.1 Bendigo 719 49.9% % unemployed 18.5 1,441 or 1.4% % labour force participation 47.2 Shepparton 1,087 52.2% %unemployed 17.3 2,082 or 3.4% % labour force participation 44.2 Victoria - ratio of indigenous to general population .7% Australia - ratio of indigenous to general population 2.5% Source ABS Census 2011
Cultural and Linguistic Diversity In Latrobe 88.5% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Italian 1.4%, Greek 0.5%, Dutch 0.4%, Mandarin 0.4% and Maltese 0.4%. In Greater Shepparton 82.2% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Italian 2.7%, Arabic 1.7%, Turkish 1.0%, Albanian 0.8% and Punjabi 0.8%. In Greater Bendigo 92.8% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Karen 0.3%, Italian 0.2%, Mandarin 0.2%, Greek 0.2% and Cantonese 0.1%.14 Compared to Latrobe, Bendigo and Ballarat, Shepparton is the most ethnically diverse with a higher number of people from countries reflecting more recent patterns of immigration. According to a Shepparton Council status report on the health needs of the community, “the 2011 Census doesn’t adequately represent the visible breadth of diversity, in particular for Sudanese, Congolese, Afghani, Iraqi, Samoan, Indian and Sri Lankan populations because culturally and linguistically diverse communities didn’t understand the importance of a census and believe(d) it could be used to discriminate against them if filled out accurately, for this reason census data may not be an accurate reflection of current population.” 15 In contrast Latrobe “displays a low level of cultural diversity. The percentage of Anglo Saxon/Celtic residents is higher than the Victorian average and the percentage believing that multiculturalism makes life better is lower than the Victorian average 16 .”
14 Source ABS Census 2011. 15 Health and Wellbeing Planning Guide and Status Report 2012, p 22 Greater Shepparton City Council. 16 Gippsland Health Needs Report, Monash University, p 7 May 2013. 14 WOMEN AND MENTORING: REPORT ON REGIONAL AND OUTER URBAN OPTIONS
Legal and Community Service Organisations by Local Government Area Victoria Legal Aid and Community Legal Centres are located in all the regional centres. Specialist services such as the Aboriginal Family Violence Legal Service has three offices outside of Melbourne. Of the locations considered for WAM, they are only based in Bairnsdale. However the service has grown rapidly since it was established in 2002. Community service organisations that could be potential partners, such as Anglicare, the Salvation Army, Berry Street, Emergency Housing, MacKillop Family Services and Brotherhood of St Laurence provide aid, support, housing, employment, financial counseling etc. across regional Victoria. Most have a presence in Ballarat, Greater Bendigo, Latrobe or Greater Shepparton. Based on the available data, the WAM program could be established in any of the mentioned regional centres. Bendigo and Ballarat have the largest populations and establishing a regional office there would be more similar to operating in a metropolitan area. Latrobe and Shepparton are by comparison smaller communities. All the LGAs examined have a lower SEIFA score reflecting higher unemployment and low-income levels etc. Shepparton has more recently than Latrobe become the focus of government initiatives to develop social cohesion and reduce disadvantage.
Colocation with existing services There is a significant amount of research examining the needs of hard to reach clients. ‘Hard to reach’ implies a non-existent homogeneity. In health research it relates to the ability of health services to reach out to difficult to contact segments of the population. There are similarities with how WAM might operate to reach its potential client group outside of the Neighbourhood Justice Centre. An evaluation of effectiveness of outreach services at meeting legal needs of disadvantaged people found that “the placement of outreach legal services at host agencies could be mutually beneficial for each service. Host agencies were happy to accommodate outreach legal services, finding that their own service delivery to these ‘hard-to-reach’ clients was streamlined and the effectiveness of referrals increased. The externally funded outreach legal services assisted the caseworkers to progress their clients’ matters without being a drain on the host agencies resources. “Colocation of host agencies and outreach services enables relationships to be built between the services, with opportunities to increase the knowledge, skills and networks of the host agency workers, and lawyers alike.” 17 Co-location would also enable WAM, as a newcomer to the region, to leverage off the existing networks of a more established entity.
Therapeutic Jurisprudence The current situation of WAM inside the Neighbourhood Justice Centre has made it easier to build networks, however establishing WAM in another location will require WAM to develop a broader range of contacts. None of the locations considered have Magistrates Courts that work identically to the Neighbourhood Justice Centre but therapeutic jurisprudence has been replicated in some additional court services, such
17 Outreach legal services to people with complex needs: what works? Suzie Forell and Abigail Gray, Justice Issues Research Paper 12, October 2009 Law and Justice Foundation, NSW at page 10.
15 as diversion programs, mental health support and the Courts Integrated Service Program (CISP). CISP offers a coordinated, team based approach to the assessment and treatment to defendants at the pre-trial or bail stage. It links defendants to support services such as drug and alcohol treatment, crisis accommodation, disability services and mental health services. The CISP program has been available in the Latrobe Valley but not in other regional centres. However as an evaluation of the CISP program observed, it is a program that supports therapeutic jurisprudence only to the extent that the magistrate approves of it. Therapeutic jurisprudence is an approach that is applied in specialist courts and, by some magistrates, in mainstream courts without the need for system changes or additional resources. Shepparton Magistrates Court although without the CISP program has, like other courts, a diversion coordinator and a mental health court liaison worker. Offenders at all regional courts have access to services provided by community services. The difference is the type and range of services and the referral pathways. The CISP evaluation also observed that geographical barriers to access were an issue for the Latrobe Valley site. Many defendants at the Morwell Court came from communities with limited public transport and only some of the referral services were available in other communities in the valley, making it hard for clients to access on a regular basis. Shepparton and Latrobe have more culturally diverse communities. Shepparton has a greater indigenous population. Greater Shepparton and Latrobe have rising crime rates particularly regarding family violence and drug use, the latter increasing by roughly 40% in 2012/13. David Tennant, chief executive of local community service provider FamilyCare, was quoted in an article about disadvantage and recent government initiatives in Shepparton, published in The Age newspaper on 12 September 2012, saying “It’s a town with significant challenges not dissimilar to many regional centres. But it’s not an absolute basket case in the sense it is doing poorly on everything. I expect there is an element of wanting to work in communities where you believe you might be able to do something useful.”
Expanding WAM operations WAM’s viability has been built on the capability of the coordinators, the quality of the mentors and good relationships with referrers to the program, magistrates, police and legal aid lawyers. The WAM program has yet to be tested in a new and different environment. WAM must have or gain the support of magistrates, police and justice professionals to build relationships and credibility. It is too early to consider that the WAM program is a model that can be replicated when the program has not been tested in another setting. WAM operates on a very small budget and with modest infrastructure. As the evaluation noted, this has risks. Collaborating with other organisations in a new environment allows WAM to leverage from existing networks. The next stage should be the employment of a community development worker to assess the viability of shortlisted locations.
16 WOMEN AND MENTORING: REPORT ON REGIONAL AND OUTER URBAN OPTIONS
Recommendation It is recommended that either Latrobe or Greater Shepparton be selected as locations for the next WAM program. Community Development work in both locations would determine the choice of one of these. The crime rates in Shepparton and Latrobe indicate there is a cohort of women who have been charged with criminal offences that may benefit from a mentoring type program. The regional location suggests that volunteers may be more easily recruited than in the city. Regional locations in general lack adequate support services. Family violence occurs at a higher incidence in regional areas than in urban environment.
17 Appendix 1
Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas (RRMA) classification The Commonwealth developed the classification in 1994 by the then known as Department of Primary Industries and Energy, and the Department of Human Services and Health. Zone Category Metropolitan M1 RRMA 1 Capital cities zone
M2 RRMA 2 Other metropolitan centres (urban centre population > 100,000)
Rural zone R1 RRMA 3 Large rural centres (urban centre population 25,000-99,999)
R2 RRMA 4 Small rural centres (urban centre population 10,000-24,999)
R3 RRMA 5 Other rural areas (urban centre population < 10,000)
Remote Rem1 RRMA 6 Remote centres (urban centre population > 4,999) zone
Rem2 RRMA 7 Other remote areas (urban centre population < 5,000)
Remoteness includes distance from population centres as well as distance from other people. The results of a 2008 review into the classification scheme are yet to be announced.
18 WOMEN AND MENTORING: REPORT ON REGIONAL AND OUTER URBAN OPTIONS
Appendix 2
From ABS Quick Stats and Community Indicators produced by the McCaughy Centre at The University of Melbourne and VicHealth www.communityindicators.net.au/wellbeing_reports/ and http://www.abs.gov.au GREATER DANDENONG Greater Dandenong City Council’s central activities district is Melbourne’s second largest retail and commercial centre, including over 7,000 businesses, large shopping complexes at Dandenong and Keysborough, the Dandenong Market, a wide variety of fresh produce, seafood and meat, and over 50 Asian restaurants and specialty supermarkets. It the most ethnically diverse area in Victoria, with residents from 151 nations, half of whom were born overseas. Key industries include metal manufacturing and food processing and distribution, beverage and malt manufacturing. The municipality includes Dandenong, Keysborough, Lyndhurst, Noble Park, Sandown Village and Springvale
In Greater Dandenong, there were 1624.9 recorded crimes against the person per 100,000 population in 2012-13 compared to 986.9 in the Southern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 1026.7. In Greater Dandenong, there were 5956.5 recorded crimes against property per 100,000 population in 2012-13, compared to 4480.9 in the Southern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 4640.7.
19 CENTRAL GOLDFIELDS Central Goldfields Shire is located in central Victoria, one hour’s drive from the regional cities of Ballarat and Bendigo and two hour’s drive north west of Melbourne. Originally a gold mining area, the shire has developed on the back of agricultural industry. The main activities are cropping and sheep farming. Maryborough, the principal town in the shire, is a manufacturing centre. The main industries include meat and meat product manufacturing, other food manufacturing, printing & services to printing, agriculture.
In Central Goldfields, there were 1729.2 recorded crimes against the person per 100,000 population in 2012-13 compared to 1235.1 in the Loddon Mallee Region and the Victorian State average of 1026.7. In Central Goldfields, there were 4255.3 recorded crimes against property per 100,000 population in 2012-13, compared to 3977.3 in the Loddon Mallee Region and the Victoria State average of 4640.7
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20 WOMEN AND MENTORING: REPORT ON REGIONAL AND OUTER URBAN OPTIONS
BRIMBANK The City of Brimbank is the second largest municipality in Melbourne, located in the Western Region about 20 kms from the central business district. It is a culturally diverse municipality with about 43 per cent of the population being born overseas and 37 per cent being under 24 years of age. Brimbank is currently experiencing strong residential, industrial and commercial development. Brimbank includes 25 new and established suburbs and incorporates one of the largest industrial areas in Melbourne. It also has a number of important institutions including the Sunshine Hospital and the St Albans campus of the Victoria University of Technology. The main industries are chemical product manufacturing. The municipality includes Brooklyn (part), Cairnlea, Calder Park, Deer Park, Delahey, Derrimut, Hillside (part), , Keilor, St Albans, Sunshine, Sydenham, Taylors Lakes and Tullamarine. In Brimbank, there were 1231.6 recorded crimes against the person per 100,000 population in 2012-13 compared to 1163.3 in the Northern & Western Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 1026.7.
In Brimbank, there were 6500.0 recorded crimes against property per 100,000 population in 2012-13, compared to 6005.5 in the Northern & Western Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 4640.7.
21 LODDON MALLEE Loddon Shire is located 175 kms north west of Melbourne. Agriculture is the main activity, with traditional produce including fat lambs, fine wool, dairy, poultry, pigs and cereal cropping. Recently more intensive forms of agriculture and horticulture have developed - including wine grapes, tomato growing, olives, oil seeds, pulses, and fodder crops, particularly in the irrigated areas in the north of the Shire and along the Loddon River. The municipality is characterised by a number of small towns dispersed throughout the area. Wineries and historic and natural attractions compliment agricultural activity. The main industries include agriculture, other food manufacturing, flour mill and cereal food manufacturing. The municipality includes Inglewood and Wedderburn.
In Loddon, there were 921.1 recorded crimes against the person per 100,000 population in 2012-13 compared to 1235.1 in the Loddon Mallee Region and the Victorian State average of 1026.7. In Loddon, there were 2870.1 recorded crimes against property per 100,000 population in 2012-13, compared to 3977.3 in the Loddon Mallee Region and the Victorian State average of 4640.7.
22 WOMEN AND MENTORING: REPORT ON REGIONAL AND OUTER URBAN OPTIONS
LATROBE Morwell, the regional centre of the Latrobe Valley is located 135 km east of Melbourne. It is the principal service centre for the Gippsland region and includes the regional headquarters for significant government and private organisations, and education centres. The Latrobe Valley generates 85% of Victoria’s electricity, from its large reserves of brown coal. Other major industries include timber processing, and the manufacturing of paper products as well as the provision of services to the Gippsland region. Latrobe has a young population, with 45% of residents aged under 35 – of these 28% are under 10. The municipality includes Hazelwood, Loy Yang, Mirboo, Moe, Traralgon, Tyers and Yallourn.
In Latrobe, there were 2701.2 recorded crimes against the person per 100,000 population in 2012-13 compared to 1678.6 in the Gippsland Region and the Victorian State average of 1026.7. In Latrobe, there were 6948.4 recorded crimes against property per 100,000 population in 2012-13, compared to 4973.5 in the Gippsland Region and the Victorian State average of 4640.7.
23 PYRENEES Pyrenees Shire is located in the Central West of Victoria, about 130 kms north west of Melbourne. It is heavily dependent on primary industry and is renowned for its, wool, viticulture and forestry activity. Thirty percent of the workforce is involved in agriculture. Key areas of production are wool, cereal, hay crops and meat. Grape and wine production has recently expanded significantly. Gold, along with sand, gravel and slate all contribute to the economy. The municipality includes Avoca, Beaufort, Bo Peep, Nowhere Creek, Shirley, Snake Valley and Yalla-Y-Poora. It is close to both Bendigo and Ballarat.
In Pyrenees, there were 1101. 0 recorded crimes against the person per 100,000 population in 2012-13 compared to 1387.4 in the Grampians Region and the Victorian State average of 1026.7. In Pyrenees, there were 2514.5 recorded crimes against property per 100,000 population in 2012-13, compared to 5070.7 in the Grampians Region and the Victorian State average of 4640.7.
24 WOMEN AND MENTORING: REPORT ON REGIONAL AND OUTER URBAN OPTIONS
GREATER SHEPPARTON Greater Shepparton in the heart of the Goulburn Valley is the fourth largest provincial centre in Victoria. Shepparton township is located at the confluence of the Goulburn and Broken Rivers and at the intersection of the Goulburn Valley and Midland Highways. The region has a diverse population, with 15.7% of residents born overseas. The region is a major fruit and vegetable processing centre, with two large canneries. There are also large dairy processing facilities located in and around Shepparton, which provide products for both local consumption and export. Irrigation is critical to agricultural production.
In Greater Shepparton, there were 1569.3 recorded crimes against the person per 100,000 population in 2012-13 compared to 1161.1 in the Hume Region and the Victorian State average of 1026.7. In Greater Shepparton, there were 5089.9 recorded crimes against property per 100,000 population in 2012-13, compared to 3676.3 in the Hume Region and the Victorian State average of 4640.7
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25 ARARAT Ararat city is a versatile primary production area famous for its premium viticulture and wine industry, quality merino wool, and cropping and manufacturing industries. Ararat forms a “gateway” to important tourism destinations such as the Grampians Ranges, Pyrenees Ranges, Mt Langi Ghiran, Mt Cole and Lake Bolac. Ararat (pop. 7,500) is the district retail hub. Ararat is located 200 kilometres west of Melbourne on the Western Highway at the junction of several major highways
In Ararat, there were 2234.8 recorded crimes against the person per 100,000 population in 2012-13 compared to 1387.4 in the Grampians Region and the Victorian State average of 1026.7. In Ararat, there were 4434.2 recorded crimes against property per 100,000 population in 2012-13, compared to 5070.7 in the Grampians Region and the Victorian State average of 4640.7.
26 WOMEN AND MENTORING: REPORT ON REGIONAL AND OUTER URBAN OPTIONS
BALLARAT Ballarat lies within an undulating section of the midland plains in western Victoria, about 80 kms from Melbourne. It is positioned at the centre of some of Victoria’s most important freight, tourist and commuter transport routes, with the Western, the Midland, the Glenelg and the Sunraysia highways radiating from it. Ballarat has traditionally prospered on mineral and agricultural based resources, however manufacturing, tourism, health and community services, education and retailing are now the key industries. These industries, along with banking, finance and government services, are strengthening Ballarat’s role as a regional service provider.
In Ballarat, there were 1628.9 recorded crimes against the person per 100,000 population in 2012-13 compared to 1387.4 in the Grampians Region and the Victorian State average of 1026.7. In Ballarat, there were 6599.3 recorded crimes against property per 100,000 population in 2012-13, compared to 5070.7 in the Grampians Region and the Victorian State average of 4640.7.
27 MORNINGTON PENINSULA The Mornington Peninsula Shire is a boot-shaped promotory separating Port Phillip and Western Port Bays, over 40 kms to the south east of Melbourne. It is almost surrounded by the sea, with coastal boundaries of over 190 kilometres. It is a mixture of urban areas, resort towns, tourist development and rural land. The Peninsula is one of the major holiday and retirement areas for Melbourne. It includes the industrial and port area of Hastings, as well as natural attractions like Cape Schanck and Point Nepean National Park. The main industries include iron and steel manufacturing, building construction.
In Mornington Peninsula, there were 898.4 recorded crimes against the person per 100,000 population in 2012-13 compared to 986.9 in the Southern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 1026.7. In Mornington Peninsula, there were 3651.4 recorded crimes against property per 100,000 population in 2012-13, compared to 4480.9 in the Southern Metro Region and the Victorian State average of 4640.7.
28 WOMEN AND MENTORING: REPORT ON REGIONAL AND OUTER URBAN OPTIONS
GREATER BENDIGO Greater Bendigo is a major regional centre servicing the towns and rural areas of the Loddon region, about 150 kms north west of Melbourne. While still significant, traditional reliance on manufacturing has diminished in recent years, with the development of a strong health, education and retail sector in the city. Commerce, finance and government administration are also important activities.
In Greater Bendigo, there were 1193.6 recorded crimes against the person per 100,000 population in 2012-13 compared to 1235.1 in the Loddon Mallee Region and the Victorian State average of 1026.7. In Greater Bendigo, there were 4376.6 recorded crimes against property per 100,000 population in 2012-13, compared to 3977.3 in the Loddon Mallee Region and the Victorian State average of 4640.7.
29 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011 Census Quick Facts
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