Rick Wilson calls on WA Government to commit funding for new Albany family and domestic violence crisis centre

Federal Member for O’Connor Rick Wilson is calling on the State Government to commit operational funding to a planned family and domestic violence crisis accommodation centre in Albany or risk jeopardising the project. Albany’s Southern Aboriginal Corporation was one of three WA organisations to receive funding under the Commonwealth’s Safe Places initiative in May, with $3.1 million awarded to build six self-contained crisis accommodation units in Albany. Anglicare WA is set to manage the operation of the facility. At the time, Albany Women’s Centre manager Joanna Fictoor said Albany’s existing four-room refuge was “consistently at capacity”, with more than 100 women and children using it each year and demand from almost 100 extra families. In Federal Parliament on Wednesday — on the eve of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women — Mr Wilson urged WA Labor to “come to the party with operational funding” before Christmas as SAC’s plans were “under threat” if they could not secure operational funding by the end of April. “It’s now almost December, the clock is ticking, and no operational funding has been forthcoming from the WA Labor Government,” Mr Wilson said. “Sorting out the funding situation in Albany before Christmas would be a tremendous relief for the clients and staff of SAC.” Speaking to the Advertiser on Monday, Mr Wilson said he had written to Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Simone McGurk for action. “It’s simply a matter of the Department of Communities and Simone McGurk as the relevant minister getting on and giving SAC the assurance that operational funding will be forthcoming so they can start getting plans together to get the approvals and then ultimately the construction of this project under way,” Mr Wilson said. “They can’t do anything until they’ve got that funding agreement in place because it is a key milestone. If they don’t achieve it then they will have to give the money back. “I have given SAC an assurance that ... if they don’t land an operational agreement by next April, then I will do whatever I can to make sure that the money remains available while they look for alternative funding sources. “But really, if the State Government hasn’t come to the party by then it will be an absolute disgrace and I will be running a serious campaign across the Albany community.” SAC chief executive Asha Bhat said her organisation and Anglicare WA had been in discussion with the State Government for the past two months about securing operational funding. The organisations aims to finish construction of the facility by June 2024 and open the doors in July. “The Federal Government has made significant investment in the capital and there is an unmet need in this area,” Ms Bhat said. “We want to see that women and children get dignity and privacy in the new refuge and we want a commitment from the State to support the Federal Government investment. “It’s hard to get funding for the Great Southern region, we are pretty much invisible ... the two very strong and experienced family and domestic violence units have come together and it has to be looked at favourably by the State Government.” Ms McGurk said she wrote to SAC and Anglicare WA in July, encouraging them to liaise with the Department of Communities about the Great Southern refuge. Ms McGurk said she was yet to receive a formal request from the Federal Government for a “significant funding contribution to the long-term operations of the new Albany refuge”. She said she had received a letter from Mr Wilson last week. “I absolutely welcome the Federal Government’s investment in the construction of a refuge facility in Albany, but it is frustrating that the Federal Government’s modus operandi for investing in family and domestic violence measures appears to be putting resources into the system, but not contributing enough funding to sustain those services,” she said. “In this case, the Federal Government has provided capital funding for a project that they initiated and made a public commitment to, and left long-term operational funding to the States. “I have raised my concerns with the Federal Government on several occasions about the lack of operational funding included in the project, and requiring the State to commit long-term operational funding for the budget years prior to service organisations receiving the funds for each refuge is unsatisfactory.” In a statement to the Advertiser on Wednesday, Anglicare WA services director Philippa Boldy said discussions had commenced with the Department of Communities to fund the new facility’s operations. “The Federal Government has committed funding to the Southern Aboriginal Corporation to build the crisis accommodation, this does not include investment in the day-to-day running of the service,” she said. “The Federal Government are looking to the WA Government to provide this operational funding. “Discussions with the Department of Communities are in progress and we are hopeful we will soon secure a positive outcome. “There is widespread agreement this new crisis accommodation is much needed for the Great Southern, with the existing Albany Women’s Centre consistently running at capacity supporting around 100 women annually, with demand easily high enough to accommodate another 100.”