Orange City Council has joined the DV Safe Phone initiative to support people experiencing domestic and family violence.
DV Safe Phone is a national not‑for‑profit program that collects, repurposes and distributes mobile phones to people experiencing domestic and family violence, providing a safe and discreet way to contact support services, family and emergency assistance when it is needed most.
Through the initiative, donated mobile phones are professionally checked, wiped and redistributed through frontline services, ensuring people who may have had their phone taken, broken or monitored can stay connected and access help safely.
DV Safe Phone donation boxes are at Orange City Library and Orange Civic Centre.
Family and Domestic Abuse Community Committee Chair, Cr Melanie McDonell is proud to support an initiative that provides a practical and potentially life‑saving resource.
"According to DV Safe Phone, someone in Australia calls for emergency help due to domestic violence every three minutes yet many victims can't call at all, as their phones are often taken, broken, or monitored by perpetrators," Cr McDonell said.
"Having access to a secure, untraceable phone can make a critical difference for someone experiencing domestic or family violence.
"By joining the DV Safe Phone initiative, Council is helping raise awareness and encouraging our community to take a simple action that can have a powerful impact."
Council has become a phone collection partner and has two donation points available for people to donate their old phones and accessories:
- Customer Service at Orange Civic Centre
- Orange City Library
The program will operate for a trial period of 12 months. People who don't have an old phone to donate but want to support DV Safe Phone can donate funds or hold a fundraiser. Visit https://dvsafephone.org/ to find out more.
