AVOs are on the rise, but what does that mean for the community?

Latest figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research show local courts issued 644 domestic AVOs in the Dubbo region compared with 494 across the Bourke, Gilgandra, Narromine, Walgett and Warren areas.

In Orange, 462 AVOs were handed out, while Bathurst had 470, leaving Dubbo with the highest amount in the Central and Far West.

With the court-issued AVOs rising by 102 in the most recent statistics, police say there are a number of factors for the rise.

Superintendent Timothy Chinn told the Daily Liberal it was one of those things that were "subjective".

"Sexual assault is another one that can be subjective, is it that the number of assaults has gone up or has it stayed the same but more people are feeling comfortable and educated to make a report about it?" he said.

"It's a bit hard to judge whether there is a bit of a trend emerging or if there's not."

Superintendent Chinn said taking out an AVO doesn't mean the police are at the threshold of charging someone.

"We might not see enough to charge anyone for an offence, but we do have certain fears for a victim so we take out an AVO," he said.

On a per capita basis, courts issued 1352.9 domestic AVOs per 100,000 people living in the Dubbo region.

Gilgandra LGA recorded 1535 domestic AVOs per 100,000 people, Narromine 1367 and Walgett a shockingly high 4335.

The state average was 560 per 100,000.

Superintendent Chinn said domestic violence was an ongoing issue in the Orana region.

"A lot of victims won't report the matter because they're fearful of being put out to pasture by the family or not having the support, lifestyle or financial structure, so it just goes unreported," he said.

The figures show domestic and non-domestic AVOs were far more prevalent in remote and regional areas.

Greater Sydney recorded 424 domestic AVOs per 100,000 people in 2022-23, compared with 1739 in the Far West region of NSW.

In the Dubbo region, domestic AVOs were down nine percent on COVID levels when 715 were handed out during the 2020 to 2021 period.

Domestic AVOs were up 19.1 per cent on pre-COVID levels in Dubbo and were also at a two-year high.

Superintendent Chinn said they had strict protocols in place for dealing with domestic violence related incidents.

"There are several points of review to make sure we provide a quality review and that things are done and actioned properly," he said.