Mayor won’t take ‘no’
Douglas Shire Mayor Julia Leu has fired a return shot at a State Government minister who said the Far North has adequate resources to deal with domestic violence victims. Ms Leu is campaigning to have a shelter built in the Douglas area and hopes to meet Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk during this month’s community cabinet. Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman said last week her department was not considering funding any further shelters in the region.
DOUGLAS Shire Mayor Julia Leu has fired a return shot at a State Government minister who said the Far North has adequate resources to deal with domestic violence victims.
Ms Leu is campaigning to have a shelter built in the Douglas area and hopes to meet Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk during this month’s community cabinet.
Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman said last week her department was not considering funding any further shelters in the region because there was already capacity.
Cr Leu said the minister’s comments had left her “stunned and extremely disappointed”.
She said the rates of domestic violence were higher at Mossman than in either Cairns or Innisfail which both had shelters. She said it was unfair for victims to have to travel to either of those shelters.
“It’s not fair for victims trying to leave their abusers. It takes them away from their jobs, kids away from schools and away from their support networks,” Cr Leu said
“(The minister’s comments) show a lack of understanding.
“We’re not an outer suburb of Cairns, we’re our own community and things based in Mossman actually service areas 100km north of us.”
The Douglas Shire Council has produced a report which has been sent to the State Government asking for funding support for the shelter.
It has a preferred model of three freestanding units and a common administration area which would be built in a secret location within the Douglas area. Ms Leu said it would likely cost up to $1 million.
She said according to police statistics Mossman had the 11th highest rate of DV applications in the Far North while Innisfail was ranked 25th and Cairns was 35th.