Community leaders from all areas of government, industry, the education sector, business and social services came together online for the first COVID-19 Recovery Working Group meeting on April 23 to map a way forward for the Port Macquarie-Hastings region.

The working group will put recommendations to council for action focusing on economic, business, education, social, cultural and environmental priorities as key areas for recovery and growth.

Part of that planning will be identifying the most vulnerable residents in the region and connecting them with the right people and resources to ensure it is a whole of community approach to recovery.

Adam Spencer CEO of St Agnes' Parish said the challenges of COVID-19 has the potential to further isolate and disconnect already challenged members of the community.

"When we come out of this we need to recognise the elderly, disabled, the vulnerable might have been out of mind, out of sight during this time, but their challenges do not go away," Mr Spencer said.

Deputy mayor Lisa Intemann said it is vitally important we all take responsibility for community wellbeing and provide help to those who need it.

"We can change our culture here and have more focus on togetherness and mutuality," Cr Intemann said.

"Our vulnerable people, the aged, those experiencing domestic violence - we all have a role to play to ensure these people are brought into the picture.

"There are people hidden away in various parts of our community who do not have contact with anyone."

Some of those health focused areas must also look at drug, alcohol and gambling dependencies, ensuring the aged continue to seek regular health care and the need for domestic violence support.

Michelle Parker, of Liberty Domestic and Family Violence Specialist Service, said the story being told behind closed doors is disturbing.

"What we have seen is an increase in domestic abuse, but the number of referrals have decreased," Ms Parker said.

"Isolation is preventing women reaching out for help. Women are experiencing more domestic violence at a greater level and it is always more severe violence in a time of crisis."

Ms Parker said Liberty usually averages 85 referrals for frontline support each month across Port Macquarie-Hastings. There have been recent weeks when the service has received no calls.

"We are ready to provide outreach services for the longer term impacts that will likely come from a downturn in the economy.

"We need a whole of community response to providing support, and people need to know where they can get support."

The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) released a report detailing the impacts of COVID-19 on rates of domestic violence in March 2020.

The report states that police recorded incidents of domestic violence did not significantly increase, despite the introduction of social isolation measures in mid-March.

But these statistics are not telling the whole story. In fact, reporting rates have not been consistent across the state.

In a recent survey of frontline domestic violence workers undertaken by Women's Safety NSW in the last week of March 2020, 41.7 per cent reported an increase in client numbers since lockdown restrictions were imposed across Australia.

This is consistent with additional BOCSAR data which shows an increase in reported rates of domestic violence related assault in nine out of the 14 statistical areas in the period. This included, for example, increases of 54.8 per cent in Coffs Harbour/Grafton, 22.5 per cent in the Illawarra and 11 per cent on the Mid North Coast.

These increases have been offset by significant decreases in reporting in other areas, such as Richmond-Tweed (-31.1%), Far West and Orana (-23.6%), New England and North West region (- 22.4%).

CEO Hayley Foster said that while there was a clear increase in need, she was worried about a decrease in calls to services because it reinforced the fear that victims were struggling to find the opportunity to access services.

"These are the perfect conditions for abusers to have a stranglehold on their victims," she said.

"Even in normal circumstances a feature of domestic violence is that the abuser tends to isolate their victims from family and friends. And now, because of COVID-19 the few connections they do have are severed."

While unemployment, stress and financial anxiety are factors that exacerbate domestic violence, Ms Foster said research had demonstrated that gender expectations around roles, stereotypes, decision-making, levels of independence were the main drivers of domestic violence.

"What these frontline workers have told Women's Safety NSW is that women are currently finding it harder than ever to reach out for support, are deprioritising their own safety whilst they focus on immediate needs such as keeping a roof over everyone's heads and food on the table, and are doing everything they can to manage and appease their abuser until the storm clears."

In NSW, Women's Community Shelters CEO Annabelle Daniel said the situation made people vulnerable in unprecedented ways.

"Young women laid-off their jobs, not at university, are being forced by economic factors to return to an abusive environment, or spend a lot more time among abusive family members.

"All the evidence is that we can expect that the pressure of social isolation, the economic destabilisation that's occurred, will actually give perpetrators of domestic violence additional opportunities to exercise control and power and to be violent."

Ms Daniel said perpetrators of domestic violence in the home were not always obvious or easily detected.

"Often they work to establish a very positive image of their family life.

"They can become very proficient at masking the situation, using social media and such to create the impression of a loving and safe family," she said.

"The COVID-19 situation provides the opportunity for an abusive person to increase their level of domination due to the increased extent and time they have to control others."

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