❓ The Minister updates the house on the progress of rebuilding the Stirling Women's Refuge, highlighting increased capacity and stakeholder consultation. The Cook government has allocated $22.6 million for the redevelopment and expansion.
AnsweredQoN 650Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STIRLING WOMEN'S REFUGE
650. Ms M.J. HAMMAT to the Minister for Prevention of Family
and Domestic Violence:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's record
investment in programs and services that support victim–survivors of
family and domestic violence.
(1) Can the minister update the house on the progress to
rebuild the Stirling Women's Refuge?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this project will provide additional capacity and
support to women and children escaping family violence?
650. Ms M.J. HAMMAT to the Minister for Prevention of Family
and Domestic Violence:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's record
investment in programs and services that support victim–survivors of
family and domestic violence.
(1) Can the minister update the house on the progress to
rebuild the Stirling Women's Refuge?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this project will provide additional capacity and
support to women and children escaping family violence?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
Thank you, member for Mirrabooka, for the question. The member has been a tireless
advocate in her community for women and
children fleeing family and domestic violence. I am really proud to update the house on a really important project that is happening in the northern suburbs
that will continue to support women and children fleeing family and domestic
violence. The Stirling Women's Refuge has been in the northern suburbs
for over 50 years and it has done an incredible job in that time. When we think
about it, that is 50 years of providing support for women and children. Given
that the facility is 50 years old, it is tired
and dated, so we are now going to build on the capacity of that important facility.
The Cook government has allocated $22.6 million for the redevelopment
and expansion of the Stirling Women's Refuge. I am happy to let the
house know that we have now appointed Whitehaus Architects to lead this very
important project. The current facility can accommodate only five families.
This investment by the Cook Labor government will provide a new building that
will consist of fully independent living facilities and triple the capacity of
that facility to 16 independent units. The schematic design process will begin
immediately and, importantly, be based on consultation with a variety of
stakeholders to ensure that the design of the facility meets the broad
diversity of women who will need to access that service, including culturally
and linguistically diverse people, people with lived experience and Aboriginal
people.
A key part of this project is our
ability to work closely with the City of Stirling. I want to commend the City
of Stirling in this place. In fact, members might not know this, but it is the
only local government authority in the entire state that has made a skin-in-the-game
commitment to play its part in supporting victims
and children. I want to acknowledge in this place the City of Stirling. Of
course, this is not new for the city. The member for Mirrabooka well
knows about our one-stop hub in Mirrabooka and the City of Stirling has done an
incredible job of leading the work that that great service provides. Having
many organisations, whether it be
not-for-profits or organisations from any level of government, working together in partnership will drive real differences and have an important impact for
women and children fleeing family and domestic violence. It is important to
make sure that we continue those relationships to ensure that women and
children can access the support that they need when they need it.
Our government is continuing to
demonstrate its resolve to address family and domestic violence and to reduce
the harm that perpetrators inflict in our community. In this term of
government, we have invested some $422 million in initiatives that protects
victim–survivors and holds perpetrators to account— $422 million. Since the taskforce 12 months ago,
$169 million of investment has been made into important services that
support women and children in our community. The Stirling refuge is just one
example of the many critical projects that the Cook government has invested in.
There are many other examples of investment
including into the Safe at Home program, the Ruah Centre for Women and Children
that the member for Perth and I recently visited, and the expansion of
the rapid rehousing program to name just a few.
Members, we will continue to engage
with experts and key stakeholders as we deliver these projects that are aligned
with our system reform plan. We all have a part to play. I can reassure members
that I am playing my part as the Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic
Violence. As a government, we are playing our part in terms of the investment
announcements we have made. I want to give a shout-out in particular to the
staff at my Department of Communities whose job it is to turn our investment announcements into reality and create buildings,
safe places and refuges around our state. I am so lucky that the
department places the same priority on making sure that we deliver these
services into our community and backs the investment made by the state
government. Everyone in our community has a part to play and I can reassure Western
Australians that this state government is playing its part.
Thank you, member for Mirrabooka, for the question. The member has been a tireless
advocate in her community for women and
children fleeing family and domestic violence. I am really proud to update the house on a really important project that is happening in the northern suburbs
that will continue to support women and children fleeing family and domestic
violence. The Stirling Women's Refuge has been in the northern suburbs
for over 50 years and it has done an incredible job in that time. When we think
about it, that is 50 years of providing support for women and children. Given
that the facility is 50 years old, it is tired
and dated, so we are now going to build on the capacity of that important facility.
The Cook government has allocated $22.6 million for the redevelopment
and expansion of the Stirling Women's Refuge. I am happy to let the
house know that we have now appointed Whitehaus Architects to lead this very
important project. The current facility can accommodate only five families.
This investment by the Cook Labor government will provide a new building that
will consist of fully independent living facilities and triple the capacity of
that facility to 16 independent units. The schematic design process will begin
immediately and, importantly, be based on consultation with a variety of
stakeholders to ensure that the design of the facility meets the broad
diversity of women who will need to access that service, including culturally
and linguistically diverse people, people with lived experience and Aboriginal
people.
A key part of this project is our
ability to work closely with the City of Stirling. I want to commend the City
of Stirling in this place. In fact, members might not know this, but it is the
only local government authority in the entire state that has made a skin-in-the-game
commitment to play its part in supporting victims
and children. I want to acknowledge in this place the City of Stirling. Of
course, this is not new for the city. The member for Mirrabooka well
knows about our one-stop hub in Mirrabooka and the City of Stirling has done an
incredible job of leading the work that that great service provides. Having
many organisations, whether it be
not-for-profits or organisations from any level of government, working together in partnership will drive real differences and have an important impact for
women and children fleeing family and domestic violence. It is important to
make sure that we continue those relationships to ensure that women and
children can access the support that they need when they need it.
Our government is continuing to
demonstrate its resolve to address family and domestic violence and to reduce
the harm that perpetrators inflict in our community. In this term of
government, we have invested some $422 million in initiatives that protects
victim–survivors and holds perpetrators to account— $422 million. Since the taskforce 12 months ago,
$169 million of investment has been made into important services that
support women and children in our community. The Stirling refuge is just one
example of the many critical projects that the Cook government has invested in.
There are many other examples of investment
including into the Safe at Home program, the Ruah Centre for Women and Children
that the member for Perth and I recently visited, and the expansion of
the rapid rehousing program to name just a few.
Members, we will continue to engage
with experts and key stakeholders as we deliver these projects that are aligned
with our system reform plan. We all have a part to play. I can reassure members
that I am playing my part as the Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic
Violence. As a government, we are playing our part in terms of the investment
announcements we have made. I want to give a shout-out in particular to the
staff at my Department of Communities whose job it is to turn our investment announcements into reality and create buildings,
safe places and refuges around our state. I am so lucky that the
department places the same priority on making sure that we deliver these
services into our community and backs the investment made by the state
government. Everyone in our community has a part to play and I can reassure Western
Australians that this state government is playing its part.
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