That is why the government has poured millions of dollars to curtail DV rates in the north west. 

Close to $3.2 million has been allocated to a local taskforce charged with protecting victims in Mount Isa. 

The high risk team is drawn from police, health, corrections and domestic violence services share information about people they think are in danger. 

Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence minister Di Farmer came to the north west this week to meet with the team, who have responded to 151 referrals in Mount Isa since it became operational in September 2017.

Ms Farmer said in the past, privacy laws have prevented agencies from sharing information with one another. 

The high risk team can now red-flag people they think are at risk of violence. 

“For instance you might have a child who is saying things that make a teacher think, there is something going on, they make think there is something a little bit suspicious, but may not necessarily report it,” Ms Farmer said. 

“Or if mum presents to the hospital with a bruised face they may think, we better keep an eye on that, or police might have been called to the house for what appears to be an incident.

“That is three stories where they actually start to build up a bit of a picture of the woman. When you have a person there from health, the person there from housing and the person from child safety and they are talking to each other, they can see it is escalating.”

Ms Farmer said by sharing information between frontline services, women at risk can be helped before things go too far. 

“There’s no doubt in my mind that this new fully integrated approach is making a critical difference to adults and children who are at risk, and is saving lives through information sharing and timely intervention ” Ms Farmer said.

“Staff from the various agencies work together to provide robust, culturally appropriate responses to victims and their children assessed to be at high risk of serious harm or death.

“They also make sure high-risk perpetrators are kept front and centre and are held to account,” she said. 

“This is about wrapping services around victims of domestic and family violence to make sure they have the support they need to get their lives back on track.”

Mount Isa is also one of three locations in the Queensland Government’s trial of integrated service responses.

It is looking at the best way of helping victims from regional communities.

Mount Isa is also slated for a new dedicated court to deal specifically with domestic and family violence. 

The government has funded extra prosecutors, magistrates, court staff and support services for the Mount Isa DV court. 

Every week about 24 people make a protection order in Mount Isa. 

If you are a victim of domestic violence, contact the North Queensland Domestic Violence Resource Service on 4743 0946.