❓ Question addresses the WA government's support for initiatives providing safety and support for families experiencing domestic violence, with the Minister highlighting the Ruah Centre for Women and Children project.
AnsweredQoN 756Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
RUAH CENTRE FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN
756. Dr K. STRATTON to the Minister for Prevention of Family
and Domestic Violence:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's ongoing commitment to combat family and domestic violence
and keep Western Australia safe. Can the minister advise the house how the
government is supporting initiatives that will provide safety and support for
families who are experiencing violence and abuse?
756. Dr K. STRATTON to the Minister for Prevention of Family
and Domestic Violence:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's ongoing commitment to combat family and domestic violence
and keep Western Australia safe. Can the minister advise the house how the
government is supporting initiatives that will provide safety and support for
families who are experiencing violence and abuse?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Nedlands very
much for the question. I know that the member, along with many other colleagues
in this place, is concerned about domestic violence and how we combat it. As we
lead into the 16 Days in WA campaign, which will start on Friday, we hope to
galvanise and encourage people across the community to embark on awareness
raising and speak out against violence against women.
It has been really great to see the
development of Ruah Community Services' new centre for women and
children, which will be located in
Northbridge. Unfortunately, I was laid low with COVID-19 so I could not attend
the sod- turning event that occurred last week, but many people did
attend, including the Minister for Housing. This is going to be a fantastic
seven-storey facility that will provide not only accommodation for women and
children who are victim–survivors of violence, but also wraparound
services. We are appreciating more and more that we need not only a crisis response
but also medium and long-term supports to get victims back on their feet. That
is the model of care that will be provided
in this centre. Ruah has focused on getting input into the model from women with lived experience. A research element will be embedded into the work so
that it can start to see the outcomes. That
is something we have been very focused on in our service design since coming to
government. This will be an architecturally designed building. In fact,
Deb Zanella from Ruah commented to me that the Lord Mayor sounded surprised that it would be a good-looking building
and that it would actually be quite handsome. It was good to hear that it has
been given the Lord Mayor's seal of approval! I am glad that he is
going to support this particular centre.
This is a big initiative; it is a $30
million project. It is really great that Lotterywest is supporting it with a significant
$4 million grant towards the construction of the facility. What is also
significant about this project is that Ruah has not quite finished the full fundraising for it. It has about 75 per cent
of the funds, but it already has received a number of philanthropic
contributions, in both dollar terms and in-kind support. The harnessing of
those contributions at a much more senior and significant level will be really
important. The Premier showed his capacity for that just this week when he got
significant money out of the corporate sector.
This is going to be a really good
project once it is finalised. As I said, it will build on our approach to
provide not only extra capacity in crisis terms, but also the medium and
long-term support and healing that is needed by victims of domestic violence.
That is what we have put in place in our new refuges, and particularly the
therapeutic refuge, and is the approach
being taken in the hubs. We are coming up to finalising a third of our hubs.
This will be ongoing support and contact for victim–survivors of
domestic violence.
much for the question. I know that the member, along with many other colleagues
in this place, is concerned about domestic violence and how we combat it. As we
lead into the 16 Days in WA campaign, which will start on Friday, we hope to
galvanise and encourage people across the community to embark on awareness
raising and speak out against violence against women.
It has been really great to see the
development of Ruah Community Services' new centre for women and
children, which will be located in
Northbridge. Unfortunately, I was laid low with COVID-19 so I could not attend
the sod- turning event that occurred last week, but many people did
attend, including the Minister for Housing. This is going to be a fantastic
seven-storey facility that will provide not only accommodation for women and
children who are victim–survivors of violence, but also wraparound
services. We are appreciating more and more that we need not only a crisis response
but also medium and long-term supports to get victims back on their feet. That
is the model of care that will be provided
in this centre. Ruah has focused on getting input into the model from women with lived experience. A research element will be embedded into the work so
that it can start to see the outcomes. That
is something we have been very focused on in our service design since coming to
government. This will be an architecturally designed building. In fact,
Deb Zanella from Ruah commented to me that the Lord Mayor sounded surprised that it would be a good-looking building
and that it would actually be quite handsome. It was good to hear that it has
been given the Lord Mayor's seal of approval! I am glad that he is
going to support this particular centre.
This is a big initiative; it is a $30
million project. It is really great that Lotterywest is supporting it with a significant
$4 million grant towards the construction of the facility. What is also
significant about this project is that Ruah has not quite finished the full fundraising for it. It has about 75 per cent
of the funds, but it already has received a number of philanthropic
contributions, in both dollar terms and in-kind support. The harnessing of
those contributions at a much more senior and significant level will be really
important. The Premier showed his capacity for that just this week when he got
significant money out of the corporate sector.
This is going to be a really good
project once it is finalised. As I said, it will build on our approach to
provide not only extra capacity in crisis terms, but also the medium and
long-term support and healing that is needed by victims of domestic violence.
That is what we have put in place in our new refuges, and particularly the
therapeutic refuge, and is the approach
being taken in the hubs. We are coming up to finalising a third of our hubs.
This will be ongoing support and contact for victim–survivors of
domestic violence.
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