More than a third of the state government package will go towards expanding Family and Domestic Violence Response Teams.
The state government has announced a $109.9 million investment to address family and domestic violence, with more than a third going towards expanding Family and Domestic Violence Response Teams.
In the announcement today, Premier Roger Cook said $34.9 million will go towards the teams which are a partnership between the Department of Communities, Western Australia Police Force, Department of Justice Adult Community Corrections and Family and Domestic Violence Coordinated Response Services.
The teams work to improve the safety of family and domestic victim-survivors after police call outs to incidences.
The funding will allow for more staff and metropolitan teams to work seven days a week.
Accommodation
Yesterday, the Cook government announced $14.8 million would go towards refuges and transitional accommodation in Albany, Broome and Midland.
The state government said its investments had delivered 91 units and a further 102 units were still to come.
Almost half of this accommodation investment will go towards a shelter in Albany, adding much-needed additional units to the overburdened facility.
The $6.9 million contribution to Southern Aboriginal Corporation’s Albany Women’s Centre will allow for the creation of six additional units to the facility, while six others are under construction.
The Anglicare WA-run shelter for women and children escaping FDV in the Great Southern has comprised of four rooms for more than 30 years, according to the not-for-profit’s Great Southern manager Joanna Fictoor.
Anglicare WA’s Ms Fictoor told Business News the centre was unable to meet 77 requests for accommodation over the period from July 2024 to June this year as the shelter struggles to keep up with the region’s population growth.
Six new units at the centre’s SAFE Spaces area will open in June next year, supported by the federal government.
The state government’s investment will add six more units to the SAFE Spaces site – bringing the total to 12 units.
Ms Fictoor said this will allow the centre to support the Great Southern, but Anglicare WA is still hoping for more investment into transitional housing.
Response plan
Almost half of the total package has been invested in the state government’s FDV response plan.
The $45.8 million will be directed to the Safe at Home program, coercive-control training for first responders and behaviour-change programs for FDV perpetrators.
Counselling and therapeutic services for FDV victim-survivors will receive $19.4 million.
The investment will also be used to develop the state government’s plan for future safe and purpose-built accommodation and facilities for victim-survivors.
