Family and domestic violence—Crisis accommodation
24. Mrs Lorna Clarke to the Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to addressing the causes of family and domestic violence, supporting victim-survivors and holding perpetrators to account.
(1) Can the minister inform the house of how this government is building on its historic investment to address family and domestic violence?
(2) Can the minister detail how this plan will increase crisis accommodation supply and support victim-survivors?
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski replied:
Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I also congratulate you on your election and congratulate the member for her election and her wonderful, heartfelt inaugural speech yesterday.
(1)–(2) Thank you for this question. It was clear from the member's speech yesterday that this is something that she holds dear to her heart. I stand here as the third Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence. We, of course, were the first government to bring in a ministry for the prevention of family and domestic violence. It is a role that I am now very humbled to hold, but I would also like to start by acknowledging the former ministers in Minister McGurk and Minister Winton who have laid a substantial foundation for this particular portfolio area.
We have undertaken a record investment since we were elected in 2017 of over $550 million, not to mention the firearms reforms that we have also brought in, which will have a substantial impact on victim-survivors of family and domestic violence. Other measures are GPS tracking and the establishment of the serial family violence offender declaration for repeat offenders. We have undertaken landmark work within the sector to deliver the system reform plan, and we were the first state government to introduce primary prevention to stop violence before it starts. This is one that I particularly think that we have done some great work in because we understand that stopping violence against women actually starts with how we treat women and treating women with respect. We on this side of the house are very aware of how that follows through into our family and domestic violence numbers.
We have also introduced automatic recognition of violence restraining orders from other states and have created a new offence for non-fatal strangulation. We have increased our refuge capacity by 30% and are now funding 45 refuges and safe houses across WA, and almost half of those are in regional WA.
Since 2017, we have opened five new refuges: one in Peel, one in Kwinana, two in the East Metropolitan Region; and, of course, the Ruah Centre for Women and Children. We have also seen a number of expansions in Kalgoorlie, Karratha and Derby. This is a significant increase in the number of units being offered for people escaping from family and domestic violence in our community.
The member asked how much has changed. When we came into government, the previous Liberal–National government allocated around only $43 million a year to family and domestic violence issues. This financial year, the Cook Labor government is committing $157 million in Department of Communities–led initiatives alone. That is just us. That does not even count the amazing work done by the police and other very important departments. That is more than triple the $43 million that had been provided before we came into government.
These initiatives are a record that I am proud to stand behind along with my colleagues the members for Fremantle and Wanneroo, but they are not everything. We will do more over the next four years. We have committed a further $38.6 million to boost refuge capacity and keep victim-survivors safe and we will deliver on new law reform. This will include $27.1 million to expand the capacity of refuges across the state, creating up to 18 new units. These will be located in Albany and Geraldton, and refuges will be expanded in Midland, Thornlie, Southern River, Victoria Park, Fremantle and Rockingham.
The member will also be interested to know that we will provide an additional $11.5 million to boost the Safe at Home program to service more areas to help women and children stay safe in their own homes after the perpetrators have been removed. This will be of interest to the member as one of those important services will be located in Yanchep in her electorate of Butler. Additional Safe at Home support will be established in Geraldton, Albany, Mandurah, Karratha, Broome and Serpentine–Byford.
The member will also know that we are undertaking significant additional law reforms to strengthen family violence restraining orders. These are issues that we on this side take very seriously. We will always make sure that there are safe places for vulnerable people to go. We will always listen to the sector and the experts and take their advice on how we should proceed with things and we will open more services, not close them. Our record is clear. We will continue to show leadership in this space and on this issue.
The Speaker: The member for Kalamunda with the last question.
