Advocacy - Family and Domestic Violence Support and Accommodation

People who are experiencing family and domestic violence (FDV) have immediate access to safe accommodation for themselves and their dependents, and the necessary support services to maintain a safe and secure future.

Specifically, what is required is State and/or Federal funding to establish, operate and maintain within the City of Wanneroo:

• Supported crisis accommodation, short term refuge accommodation and medium-term transitional accommodation services
• A FDV One Stop Hub providing support and wrap-around services located in the northern suburbs of the City of Wanneroo

The City of Wanneroo (the City) is one of the fastest growing local government authorities (LGA) in Western Australia (WA), with a population of 229,438 and a forecast of 437,016 by 2046. Couples with children make up 39% of City households, a rate higher than Greater Perth (32%). Local service providers have advised that there is unmet need for supported crisis accommodation, short term refuge and medium-term transitional accommodation services in the northern suburbs for people at risk of, or experiencing, family and domestic violence. Changing economic factors such as a shortage in housing supply and the cost of living are highlighting concerns around increasing risk factors for, and incidents of, family and domestic violence.

A range of integrated support services provided through a one stop hub, such as the FDV Hub service model in the City’s outer northern suburbs is required for this growing community. This would enable place-based support for families and delivery of local programs and integrated support services. The FDV Hub should include a behavior change program offered offsite. Perpetrators requiring court mandated behaviour change programs and those voluntarily seeking this service are unable to access this locally, creating risk of non-attendance and commitment to the program.

The Commonwealth Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032, Action 10, identifies measures to improve access to short-term and long-term housing for women and children experiencing violence. Under the Plan an investment of $480 million over 6 years was allocated to address FDV, including $100 million to extend the Safe Place program to provide emergency accommodation for women and children escaping violence. Under the National Partnership Agreement, the State Government received $19 million in Commonwealth funding for 500 FDV community workers.

Priorities under the The Path to Safety: Western Australia’s WA Strategy to Reduce Family and Domestic Violence 2020- 2030 include ensuring victim-survivors and their dependents have immediate access to place-based FDV services and connecting perpetrators with interventions to support accountability and behaviour change. The Strategy identifies Aboriginal women and women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, amongst others, as being at greater risk of FDV1. The City’s population is diverse with 40% born overseas and 2% identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, highlighting the need culturally appropriate services tailored to diverse needs.

Supported crisis accommodation, short term refuge and accommodation and medium-term transitional accommodation services are required within the City to support victim-survivors and their dependents. The State Government has allocated funds, via previous election commitments, to FDV Hubs in Kalgoorlie, Mirrabooka, Broome and Armadale. In 2023, further investment towards a women’s refuge in Mirrabooka and in an inner-city location.

While the WA Government has announced $422 million for a range of FDV measures since 2021-22, and funding of $94.6 million in the 2024-2025 budget, none of the additional planned facilities and services are in the Northwest sub-region of Perth and will not provide the needed services to the City’s large and growing population.

There is high demand for FDV services that is unable to be met by local service providers; specifically, supported crisis accommodation, short term refuge accommodation and medium-term transitional accommodation services together with required support services.

The Patricia Giles Centre for Non-Violence (PGCNV) is the lead agency for the north corridor and provides a 24/7 refuge accommodation service in a suburb in the Northwest, this has capacity for a maximum of seven families with a maximum intended stay of 48 hours; the average client is a mother and three children. The PGCNV also operates refuge accommodation in the northern suburbs of the City. Their services are highly overextended; reporting an average of 2 referrals per week and daily phone calls, often needing to refer clients to Crisis Care due to their limited accommodation service.

Analysis of 2023-2024 WAPOL crime statistics show 1,100 offences recorded for Assault (Family) and 171 for Threatening Behaviour (Family) in the City2. This demonstrates the high rate of offences of this nature with nearly 3.5 offences being recorded daily, noting this does not capture all FDV cases as nearly half goes unreported. Data provided by the Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre (NSCLC) show 32.5% of their clients who were resident in the City in 2023-2024 sought consultation for FDV.

To address the impact on children, Anglicare WA redirected discretionary reserves to fund towards their Young Hearts Children’s Counselling Program for victim-survivors of FDV. In 2023-2024, the Program supported 88 children and held 370 sessions, with clients accessing this service from as far as Yanchep. There is currently insufficient funding for the Young Hearts children’s counselling program with community demand exceeding program funding.

The role of the City is to:

• Advocate for the asks in partnership with others
• Provide localised data and other relevant information
• Act as a connector to local organisations and stakeholders

The State Government’s role is to:

• Provide land and/or a facility
• Fund and maintain a suitable facility
• Fund operations
• Appoint provider(s) to deliver required services

Primary Advocate: City of Wanneroo

Secondary Advocates:

• WA Police Joondalup District
• Western Australian Council of Social Service (WACOSS)
• WA Department of Communities Joondalup District
• Patricia Giles Centre for Non-Violence
• Anglicare WA

Existing services are at capacity and insufficient funding has been committed to meet the level of demand in this region.

There is no identified City-managed Crown land that would meet the size and location required for the facilities. There has been no commitment to a FDV One Stop Hub in the northern suburbs of the City of Wanneroo despite significant funding commitments to FDV across WA.

State and/or Federal to fund, establish and maintain:

• An estimated $10 million building costs for construction of a purposed designed supported crisis accommodation, short term refuge accommodation and medium term transitional accommodation services and ongoing operational funding commitment of $1.5M per annum.
• An estimated $800,000 per annum for voluntary and mandatory men’s behaviour change program.
• An estimated $14.2 million to commission a FDV One Stop Hub in the City of Wanneroo.

No land or funding has been allocated to this project to date.

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