Advocacy - Family and Domestic Violence Support and Accommodation
What is the issue?
The City of Wanneroo is one of Western Australia’s largest growing local governments, with a population of over 250,000 projected to reach 438,190 by 2046.
As the community has grown, so have rates of family and domestic violence (FDV). In the 2023/24 financial year, WA Police reported 1,526 family assault cases and 268 threatening behaviours (family) incidents.
In the 2024/25 financial year, this grew to 1,849 family assault cases and 376 threatening behaviours (family) incidents.
This represents a 21% increase in family assault cases and a 40% increase in threatening behaviour incidents in a single year, significantly outpacing population growth.
On average, six people experience family and domestic violence in the City of Wanneroo each day¹. Importantly, we know these figures only reflect reported cases.
Without early intervention, FDV escalates pressure on policing, health, housing and justice systems, with significantly higher long-term costs than early intervention and localised support.
What is the current state?
Local FDV accommodation and wrap around service providers are facing escalating pressures.
Patricia Giles Centre for Non-Violence (PGCNV) and Anglicare WA report their services are at capacity and unable to meet current demand.
Anglicare’s specialised FDV service has supported over 100 clients across 400+ sessions in a short period, reflecting rising demand and increasing complexity.
Advocating and partnering for an additional refuge in Perth’s Northern Corridor is enshrined in the PGCNV 2026 Strategic Plan.
In 2023/24, almost one-third (32.5%) of Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre (now known as Encompass Legal and Community Services, or ELCS) clients who are residents of the City of Wanneroo sought consultation for FDV.
Despite $33.3 million in State funding in 2025/26, no new facilities are planned for Perth’s North-West sub-region.
For residents in the City’s northernmost suburbs, the nearest FDV hub is over 40 kilometres away, and those services are already under significant pressure.
What does the community need?
Despite the City’s vast size, local FDV services and crisis, refuge and transitional accommodation are insufficient to meet demand.
The community requires locally based FDV accommodation and services, including:
- supported crisis accommodation, short term refuge accommodation and medium-term transitional accommodation services
- a FDV One Stop Hub providing support and wrap-around services in the City of Wanneroo’s northern suburbs.
The ability to access local FDV services and accommodation means faster access to safety and support for vulnerable people, continuing connection with personal support networks, and greater continuity for FDV survivors attending their schools and workplaces - all essential in times of crisis.
How can we make change happen?
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The City of Wanneroo asks the State and/or Federal Government to: Establish, operate and maintain additional supported crisis accommodation, short term refuge accommodation and medium-term transitional accommodation services in the City of Wanneroo. Appoint and fund an appropriate agency or agencies to establish, operate and maintain an FDV One Stop Hub, providing support and culturally appropriate wrap-around services within the City of Wanneroo’s northern suburbs. |
This proposal directly supports the objectives of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032, particularly improving access to crisis and transitional housing, and principles in Path to Safety: Western Australia’s strategy to reduce family and domestic violence 2020 – 2030 which calls for locally tailored and culturally safe solutions.
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What is required?
Supported crisis accommodation, additional short-term refuge accommodation and medium-term transitional accommodation services are required within the City to support victim-survivors and their dependents.
A range of integrated support services are also required for this growing community, ideally provided through a one stop hub in the City’s outer northern suburbs, such as the FDV Hub service model. 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 State Government has allocated funds, via previous election commitments, to FDV Hubs in Kalgoorlie, Mirrabooka, Broome and Armadale. In 2023, further investment went towards women’s refuges in Mirrabooka and in an inner-city location. While the State Government has announced $422 million for a range of FDV measures since 2021-22, with $94.6 million funding allocated in the 2024-2025 budget, none of the additional planned facilities and services are in the northwest sub-region of Perth. Allocation of funding to services in this region is desperately needed to deliver critical services to the City’s large and growing population.