❓ The Minister updates the house on the government's investment in family and domestic violence services, highlighting the establishment of one-stop hubs to improve access to specialist services for victims, including a new hub in Armadale.
AnsweredQoN 703Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FAMILY AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE — ONE-STOP HUBS
703. Mr H.T. JONES to the Minister for Prevention of Family
and Domestic Violence:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's ongoing commitment to combating family and domestic
violence and keeping WA safe. Can the
minister update the house on this government's investment in family and
domestic violence services and outline how this government is making it
easier for victims of family and domestic violence to access specialist
services in one location?
703. Mr H.T. JONES to the Minister for Prevention of Family
and Domestic Violence:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's ongoing commitment to combating family and domestic
violence and keeping WA safe. Can the
minister update the house on this government's investment in family and
domestic violence services and outline how this government is making it
easier for victims of family and domestic violence to access specialist
services in one location?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for the question. One of the reasons this government has taken
a very coordinated and determined focus
to combating domestic violence is that we have high rates of domestic violence
in this state. In fact, two-thirds of assaults reported to police last
year were related to domestic violence. As a government, we will not stand for
that. During the election period, WA Labor committed to opening a new family
and domestic violence one-stop hub in the Perth metropolitan area. I was very
pleased to announce today, along with the member for Armadale, the location for
the third family and domestic violence hub in Perth, and that will be in
Armadale.
The hubs model makes it easier for
victims of domestic violence to get advice. They might need health advice,
mental health advice, counselling, legal advice, financial assistance or
financial counselling services. The idea is that there is a one-stop counter
there with all the services co-located, or access to those services in that one
location, so there is no need for victims, or
people seeking advice, to retell their stories. It is also designed to be
focused on the local cohort in that area, which we hope will mean that victims
of domestic violence come forward and get assistance. We know that not
everyone is ready to go to police or a women's refuge, but they might
be willing to come forward and meet someone across the counter and talk about
the circumstances. The government has been very focused on looking at best
practice across the rest of the country and similar jurisdictions around the
world. The idea of having alternative places for victims to get assistance is
one of our important initiatives to reach out to the many people, sadly, who
need help.
We have used the data on incidents
of domestic violence, and in the eastern metropolitan corridor there is a need
for additional services, so it made sense for us to relocate that hub in
Armadale. We will consult with community members,
peak bodies, Aboriginal elders and people with lived experience in the Armadale
area in the development of the hub to see exactly where it should be located,
what it will look like and what services might be well placed to manage that hub. Members might be aware that
two of these hubs are already in existence. One is in Mirrabooka —the
Naala Djookan Healing Centre. I am very pleased that the City of Stirling is
the senior partner, making sure that a number of not-for-profit organisations
could go into that joint consortium to run that bid. The other hub is in
Kalgoorlie—the Mara Pirni Healing Place, which is also very much
focused on Aboriginal people coming forward and getting assistance. This is all
part of our $60 million package that we took to the last election to combat
domestic violence.
People get frustrated when they hear about the high levels of
domestic violence and ask what more they can do. We have a simple message in
the lead-up to 16 Days in WA, which will commence on 25 November, and, as the
name implies, will go for 16 days. It is a community campaign. The theme this
year is ''Don't be silent when you see violence''. There
is a role for all of us to stop domestic violence, to call out bad behaviour
and to reach out and give assistance, and that is what we will be doing during
16 Days in WA.
thank the member for the question. One of the reasons this government has taken
a very coordinated and determined focus
to combating domestic violence is that we have high rates of domestic violence
in this state. In fact, two-thirds of assaults reported to police last
year were related to domestic violence. As a government, we will not stand for
that. During the election period, WA Labor committed to opening a new family
and domestic violence one-stop hub in the Perth metropolitan area. I was very
pleased to announce today, along with the member for Armadale, the location for
the third family and domestic violence hub in Perth, and that will be in
Armadale.
The hubs model makes it easier for
victims of domestic violence to get advice. They might need health advice,
mental health advice, counselling, legal advice, financial assistance or
financial counselling services. The idea is that there is a one-stop counter
there with all the services co-located, or access to those services in that one
location, so there is no need for victims, or
people seeking advice, to retell their stories. It is also designed to be
focused on the local cohort in that area, which we hope will mean that victims
of domestic violence come forward and get assistance. We know that not
everyone is ready to go to police or a women's refuge, but they might
be willing to come forward and meet someone across the counter and talk about
the circumstances. The government has been very focused on looking at best
practice across the rest of the country and similar jurisdictions around the
world. The idea of having alternative places for victims to get assistance is
one of our important initiatives to reach out to the many people, sadly, who
need help.
We have used the data on incidents
of domestic violence, and in the eastern metropolitan corridor there is a need
for additional services, so it made sense for us to relocate that hub in
Armadale. We will consult with community members,
peak bodies, Aboriginal elders and people with lived experience in the Armadale
area in the development of the hub to see exactly where it should be located,
what it will look like and what services might be well placed to manage that hub. Members might be aware that
two of these hubs are already in existence. One is in Mirrabooka —the
Naala Djookan Healing Centre. I am very pleased that the City of Stirling is
the senior partner, making sure that a number of not-for-profit organisations
could go into that joint consortium to run that bid. The other hub is in
Kalgoorlie—the Mara Pirni Healing Place, which is also very much
focused on Aboriginal people coming forward and getting assistance. This is all
part of our $60 million package that we took to the last election to combat
domestic violence.
People get frustrated when they hear about the high levels of
domestic violence and ask what more they can do. We have a simple message in
the lead-up to 16 Days in WA, which will commence on 25 November, and, as the
name implies, will go for 16 days. It is a community campaign. The theme this
year is ''Don't be silent when you see violence''. There
is a role for all of us to stop domestic violence, to call out bad behaviour
and to reach out and give assistance, and that is what we will be doing during
16 Days in WA.
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