Due to the growing number of people experiencing domestic violence in the South West the Waratah Support Centre was forced to establish a site in Busselton last year.
Originally a Bunbury based organisation, the rise in domestic violence has caused their services to expand further south to support those in need.
With the announcement by prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and women’s minister Michaelia Cash last week of $100 million in funding for a range of measures to tackle domestic violence in Australia, Waratah chief executive Trudi Ruane said now was the time to address the issue as it continues to steadily grow.
“I think Malcolm Turnbull got it right when he states “it’s is simply not Australian” in reference to the acceptance of domestic violence,” she said.
The centre which caters for the South West opened at a good time with the issue of a lack of emergency housing in the area raised earlier this year in Margaret River at the Community Conversation on Homelessness and Affordable Housing in the Augusta Margaret River Shire.
Hosted by the Margaret River Soup Kitchen on May 25, meeting organiser Naomi Godden said there was a community perspective that there was a worrying lack of emergency housing in the region.
Within the community report, Ms Godden summarised the perspective that the lack of housing for women escaping domestic violence needed to be addressed, with the outlets in Busselton and Bunbury not able to accommodate all these needs.
The centre provides counselling and support services for people who have experienced sexual assault, sexual abuse and family or domestic violence.
In Busselton, Waratah provided support and intervention to 71 females aged over 16 years and 50 children under 18-years-of-age over the last year.
Ms Ruane said a reason why rates were growing was because women felt they would be heard and assisted, and neighbours felt by contacting the police help would be provided.
“And it is,” she said.
Ms Ruane said women who experience violence face a range of issues including financial concerns, health issues, social isolation, housing problems and employment difficulties.
Violence against women was the leading cause of homelessness in Australia with one in five women seeking supported accommodation in response to family violence.
While it remains an underreported crime it was revealed during an Australian personal safety survey from 2012 that one in three Australian women will experience violence in their lifetime.
“Domestic violence can happen to anyone at any age for a number of reasons it’s all related to power and control,” Ms Ruane said.
“It is a complex issue that has clear relationships with anger, as well as alcohol and amphetamine misuse.”
To reduce the rates of domestic violence Ms Ruane said there needs to be a cultural shift.
Child protection minister Helen Morton said WA had the second highest rate of reported physical and sexual violence perpetrated against women in Australia.
In response the state government have launched Freedom from Fear to eliminate domestic violence in WA.
Ms Morton said the state government would implement 20 actions to increase the safety of women and children at risk and hold perpetrators accountable for their violence and abuse.
The actions include plans to introduce new restraining orders, education in schools about respectful relationships, a program for male perpetrators who misuse substances and improved emergency access to women's refuges in the metropolitan area.
More than 15 government agencies and community service providers have put their weight behind the action plan.
Ms Morton said family and domestic violence would not be eliminated without a strong and shared response to the perpetrators.
"The action plan provides a renewed focus on combating this most serious of social issues, so women and children can live safely in their own home," she said.
Support services said neighbours and people should report incidents of violence to the police and victims would be supported.
The Waratah Support Centre in Busselton provides services to areas around Busselton, Margaret River and Dunsborough accessibility to the service is assisted with travel vouchers.
If you need support or help please contact Waratah on 1800 017 303.
