South West misses out on State Government $14.8m FDV refuge accommodation boost

Despite desperate and repeated calls for an expanded South West refuge for domestic violence victims, member for Bunbury Don Punch remains tight-lipped on whether he is fighting for more for his vulnerable constituents. As part of the State Government’s 16 Days in WA domestic violence campaign, $14.8m is set to be invested into expanding family and domestic violence accommodation in other regions. But, the South West has been excluded, despite recent revelations Harbour — formerly the South West Refuge — had been forced to turn away 817 women and children over the past year due to severe shortages in housing and staffing. When asked by the Times if Mr Punch felt the region should have been included in the latest funding round, he reiterated the “Cook Government has taken more action on family and domestic violence than any other and we will continue to show leadership on this issue”. He did not respond to queries as to whether he was fighting for the vulnerable people in his area to get more refuge accommodation support. The funding, announced as part of a broader $109.9m package to improve safety for victim-survivors, will deliver new accommodation in Albany, Broome and Midland but not in the South West. Warren-Blackwood MLA Bevan Eatts used Parliament Question Time on Tuesday to ask Premier Roger Cook if he would commit to establishing a women’s refuge in the electorate within 12 months. “Not a single family domestic violence refuge exists anywhere in Warren-Blackwood electorate,” he said. “How can the Premier claim to be strengthening support for victim-survivors when one of the largest regional electorates in WA has zero women’s shelters, forcing local families to rely on overstretched services hundreds of kilometres away?” Mr Cook said the Government was continuing to roll out its “ambitious program” of accommodation and service expansions. “I know the minister has a list of units around Western Australia for which we are now in the process of engaging with organisations, identifying properties and undertaking necessary construction,” he said. “We are the party that opens women’s shelters. Parties opposite close them.” Vasse MLA Libby Mettam said the region had again been ignored by the Labor Government when it comes to protecting women and children from the real and present danger of family and domestic violence. “The Busselton Tuart House Women’s Refuge was forced to turn away 494 women and children during 2024-25 who were seeking to escape domestic violence,” she said. “This is a shocking statistic and with nowhere else to go, these women and children are often forced to return to live in dangerous circumstances with perpetrators of FDV or face homelessness. “The Labor Government is not only failing to adequately fund refuges, it is failing to legislate to protect victims.” As part of his response to queries from the Times about the South West being excluded, Mr Punch said there was a $109.9 million FDV package contributing $45.8m to the System Reform Plan, where key initiatives will continue to be delivered across the State, including the South West. “An additional $14.4m will continue priority supports like counselling and therapeutic services including in the South West,” he said. “We acknowledge the pressure many services face, including Harbour (South West Refuge) in the South West. “We recognise the important work of services including in the South West and we will continue to work closely with them to understand demand and where additional support may be needed,” he said. Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Jessica Stojkovski said the package included new funding for the South West Coordinated Response Service, as well as continued support for programs including the South West Men’s Behaviour Change Program, flexible support package funding for the Bunbury and Busselton refuges, DV assist and counselling and advocacy delivered by Waratah Support Service.