Wellington Mayor says community support is vital in the fight against family violence

Family violence leaves deep harm in homes and across communities, and Wellington Mayor Andrew Little says the response cannot be left to one service alone.

After speaking at a Family Violence Network event at Porirua Whānau Centre late last year, he says local groups remain essential for people trying to find safety, support and a way forward.

For Mr Little, the value of organisations such as Porirua Whānau Centre is clear.

They are “absolutely critical” because they are a source of advice, help and support for whānau, families and individuals facing violence at home.

Family violence, he says, remains “a big deal in New Zealand”, and responding to it takes a community effort on many fronts.

Awareness matters, but so does backing the NGOs that are working directly with people in crisis.

Councils have a practical role to play in that response, too, he says.

Wellington City Council provides modest financial support to organisations that help women and children leaving violent family relationships.

It also uses its social housing to make sure there are places available for people who need somewhere safe to go.

Mr Little says the Council works to ensure those homes are safe spaces for families and that family violence is recognised and addressed where it may be happening.

He believes prevention also depends on making the issue visible.

Public messages that say violence is not acceptable, and that there are places to go for help, can make it easier for someone to take what he described as an “incredibly difficult step”.

“Violence is never acceptable, family violence is never acceptable,” he says.

“Anything that helps normalise that message can support people seeking to leave dangerous situations.”

Mr Little also spoke to the wider pressures that sit around family violence. Some young people, in particular, become homeless after fleeing violent homes.

He says agencies need to work together across mental health support, addiction counselling, policing and social support.

“No single agency” can respond to the whole problem, he says, because the problem is multifaceted.

Wellington’s Mayor is clear that the effort must be “unrelenting” and continue wherever there is a chance to make a difference.