❓ Mr. Punch asks about the Collie crisis and transitional accommodation service. The Minister outlines the government's commitment to supporting vulnerable Western Australians through the new service, highlighting its role in addressing family and domestic violence and homelessness in the Collie area.
AnsweredQoN 905Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COLLIE CRISIS AND
TRANSITIONAL ACCOMMODATION SERVICE
905. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Community Services:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's ongoing commitment to investing
in services that support victims of family and domestic violence and those
experiencing homelessness. Can the minister outline to the house how this
government's new crisis and transitional accommodation service in
Collie will support vulnerable Western Australians and fill a critical service
gap in the area?
TRANSITIONAL ACCOMMODATION SERVICE
905. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Community Services:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's ongoing commitment to investing
in services that support victims of family and domestic violence and those
experiencing homelessness. Can the minister outline to the house how this
government's new crisis and transitional accommodation service in
Collie will support vulnerable Western Australians and fill a critical service
gap in the area?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Bunbury for
that question. I know that he is a great member for his electorate. He has
experience in not only social policy and working with community organisations,
but also economic development, so he has been a great resource in his area.
Another great advocate for his electorate, and no-one can fault his passion, is
the member for Collie–Preston. As distinct from the opposition that
only discovered homelessness in the last three or four months, the member for
Collie–Preston has been aware of the need for some immediate relief
housing and emergency accommodation in his electorate. Sometimes it is not
appropriate, for instance, to have a full
women's refuge, because people experiencing violence need to move away
from the area where they might come into contact with the perpetrator.
People might need services if they are experiencing violence and need to have a
break or if the victims can stay at home and the perpetrator can move out, but
usually it is the former. They might also apply if someone is experiencing
homelessness and needs a bed for a night or two while they get in touch with
services either in Collie or further afield. It was an election commitment that
the member for Collie–Preston took
to the 2017 election that two transitional accommodation houses would be
available to people in the Collie area, and we are very happy that they have
now been set up. There are two properties owned by the Department of
Communities and they can accommodate two families with up to six adults across
both of those properties. One of them is for short-term emergency housing
relief for people who need to put a roof over their heads, and the other will
provide clients with transitional accommodation. The service provider is
AccordWest. It is important that people are not only given that accommodation,
but also linked in with the service should they need it in order to find out
what they need to do. That is certainly where the financial counselling model
has come along in leaps and bounds. We are able to link over 80 per cent of the
people ringing up for the hardship utility grant scheme and financial
counselling with other services, which is really important. We have call
centres both in Armadale and now in Bunbury doing some of that work. I thank
members on this side of the house who I know are passionate about those who are
most in need for not politically exploiting their situation, for not calling
them meth zombies and for not denigrating them, when we know that the vast
majority of women experience homelessness because they are experiencing
family and domestic violence. Members on this side of the house show a bit of
compassionate —
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine!
Ms S.F. McGURK : The member
for Carine might actually learn something about people experiencing hardship,
which he might not learn at Government House.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Ms S.F. McGURK : He might learn about people
experiencing domestic violence, for instance. These are real people with real
issues—
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms S.F. McGURK : —
and they deserve that members in this house take the time to understand their
problems and to provide a bit of compassion to the situation they are in.
that question. I know that he is a great member for his electorate. He has
experience in not only social policy and working with community organisations,
but also economic development, so he has been a great resource in his area.
Another great advocate for his electorate, and no-one can fault his passion, is
the member for Collie–Preston. As distinct from the opposition that
only discovered homelessness in the last three or four months, the member for
Collie–Preston has been aware of the need for some immediate relief
housing and emergency accommodation in his electorate. Sometimes it is not
appropriate, for instance, to have a full
women's refuge, because people experiencing violence need to move away
from the area where they might come into contact with the perpetrator.
People might need services if they are experiencing violence and need to have a
break or if the victims can stay at home and the perpetrator can move out, but
usually it is the former. They might also apply if someone is experiencing
homelessness and needs a bed for a night or two while they get in touch with
services either in Collie or further afield. It was an election commitment that
the member for Collie–Preston took
to the 2017 election that two transitional accommodation houses would be
available to people in the Collie area, and we are very happy that they have
now been set up. There are two properties owned by the Department of
Communities and they can accommodate two families with up to six adults across
both of those properties. One of them is for short-term emergency housing
relief for people who need to put a roof over their heads, and the other will
provide clients with transitional accommodation. The service provider is
AccordWest. It is important that people are not only given that accommodation,
but also linked in with the service should they need it in order to find out
what they need to do. That is certainly where the financial counselling model
has come along in leaps and bounds. We are able to link over 80 per cent of the
people ringing up for the hardship utility grant scheme and financial
counselling with other services, which is really important. We have call
centres both in Armadale and now in Bunbury doing some of that work. I thank
members on this side of the house who I know are passionate about those who are
most in need for not politically exploiting their situation, for not calling
them meth zombies and for not denigrating them, when we know that the vast
majority of women experience homelessness because they are experiencing
family and domestic violence. Members on this side of the house show a bit of
compassionate —
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine!
Ms S.F. McGURK : The member
for Carine might actually learn something about people experiencing hardship,
which he might not learn at Government House.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Ms S.F. McGURK : He might learn about people
experiencing domestic violence, for instance. These are real people with real
issues—
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms S.F. McGURK : —
and they deserve that members in this house take the time to understand their
problems and to provide a bit of compassion to the situation they are in.
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