FRONTLINE WORKERS WARN OF SERVICE CUTS IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PLAN

The Iemma Government's plan to centralise Domestic Violence services is a smokescreen for cost-cutting that will see 24 DV positions scrapped, the Public Services Association warned today.

The DV workers, employed in the Department of Community Service, were told today that there positions would be slashed under the plan announced Friday.

The workers whose jobs are scrapped carry out duties including:

• Promotion of prevention of violence against women strategies.
• Working across agencies and with the non government sectors at a grass roots level to stop violence against women.
• Working with local government and areas of high risk to women such as licensed premises to reduce incidents of violence against women
• Working with regional Aboriginal communities, particularly in very remote areas such as Bourke to reduce the incidents of violence against indigenous women.
• Working with all regional communities at a local area on all forms of violence against women rather than just "crime hotspots" where the only focus is domestic violence.

PSA assistant general secretary Steve Turner said while the plan sounded worthy, the Treasurer's fingers were all over it.

"Sadly the government has chosen not to consult with frontline domestic violence workers before announcing these changes," Mr Turner said.

"We are concerned that the 24 jobs that will be cut will leave gaps in knowledge, experience and service delivery to victims of violence.

"240 years of knowledge and experience working with agencies across communities will be lost when these workers are sacked. The government has come up with this initiative without talking to the very people that have worked at the front line.

"We will monitor the impact of the cuts and make public any problems that arise from this cost-cutting exercise.'

The PSA will be notifying a dispute over the issue in the NSW industrial Relations Commission today.