The only service providing life-saving assistance to domestic violence survivors in some parts of the region has been blocked from accessing crucial support.
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CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes - which operates across 52 per cent of NSW - will not be allowed to compete for funding for extra staff in locations where it currently delivers domestic violence support.
"This decision by the NSW government is so disappointing," the organisation's chief executive Anne-Marie Mioche said.
"My team is constantly stretched, we really need those extra workers, the money has been made available by the Commonwealth government and yet we are told we cannot make a bid for it.
"We need those extra workers, and it isn't an exaggeration to say women's lives are at risk."
The worker funding is available through the NSW Department of Communities and Justice under a National Partnership Agreement, which aims to boost the state's domestic violence workforce.
One hundred and forty-eight positions will be funded across the state, with 23 in areas covered by CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes.
They will only be allowed to compete for two positions - one in Warren and one in Cobar - and none in Bourke or Forbes where they are the main domestic violence service provider and manage the local women's refuges.
"Our service is really stretched especially in Forbes, Parkes and Condobolin where we have just renovated a convent that could house multiple women with children but we only have a part-time worker," Ms Mioche said.
"I don't know how we will manage. Our Forbes-Parkes service has for years provided services to twice as many women and children as we are funded to do, so this decision is a kick in the gut."
'We cater to everyone in the community'
According to CatholicCare, priority is being given to Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) for the remaining positions.
Ms Mioche said she thinks boosting the workforce in ACCOs is "admirable" but said the funding was meant to get more boots on the ground to help women and children as soon as possible.
"One of the priority areas for the NSW government is to get more Aboriginal workers in domestic violence, which is appropriate in the regional and remote areas where we work," Ms Mioche said.
"However, we already do this - for example in Forbes 43 per cent of our team members and 44 per cent of our clients identify as Aboriginal. In places like Bourke, in some of our programs, 100 per cent of our team members are Aboriginal.
"We cater to everyone in the community and have done this for years."
Although tenders for the current round of funding have now closed, Ms Mioche said she is worried the government's newly-announced $230 million package to tackle domestic violence will be allocated in the same way.
"Working in this field is stressful and we are constantly negotiating red tape and juggling with the decisions of multiple agencies," she said.
"In the areas where we operate, providing domestic violence services can be pretty scary, rural areas have more access to guns and we have had situations where we have had to wait several hours for the police to come to an event as they are so under-resourced.
"We need to ensure the system works for women and children and there is much room for improvement as we are seeing every second day in the national news."
Asked about CatholicCare's concerns, the Department of Communities and Justice confirmed that ACCOs were a priority for this round of funding.
"Evidence shows that there are better outcomes for Aboriginal victim-survivors of DFSV when services are delivered by Aboriginal-led organisations," a spokesperson said.
"We are rolling out this program and a tender is live.
"We will work with communities to ensure positions are filled in areas where there is most need."
