Coalition to fund residential trauma centre for victim-survivors of family and domestic violence
Lucy Wicks
Liberal Candidate for Robertson
An elected Dutton Coalition Government will commit $20 million for the first residential Domestic Violence Trauma Recovery Centre for women and children on the NSW Central Coast.
This investment builds on the additional $90 million the Coalition has committed to address family and domestic violence across Australia.
The Leader of the Opposition, the Hon Peter Dutton MP said this announcement highlighted his personal commitment to address family and domestic violence in Australia.
“As a former police officer who attended numerous domestic violence call-outs, I know the trauma and lifelong impacts that can occur as a result of these horrific crimes. A Government I lead will be focussed on delivering real change so that families, women and children are safer and we work toward reducing the impact of family and domestic violence.”
The Central Coast Trauma Recovery Centre (The Centre) will offer women and children fleeing family and domestic violence with a “one stop shop” person-centred approach to trauma recovery, including counselling, mental health and social services support, childcare facilities, legal assistance, return to work assistance and audio-visual rooms for remote court hearings/appearances.
The Centre will be based in the Gosford area and mirror the successful models in Sydney and Wollongong. It will also provide one and two-bedroom accommodation options to support women and children leaving a traumatic situation.
The Centre will be developed by Pacific Link Housing, in partnership with the Central Coast Women’s Health Centre.
This investment recognises the complexities of family and domestic violence, and that further action is needed to build on the continued implementation of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032 (National Plan).
The Coalition has previously announced that an elected Dutton Coalition Government will put a renewed focus on prevention, early intervention and crisis response. We will:
- Implement a National Domestic Violence Register allowing police across Australia and relevant agencies to access and share information about previous family violence convictions to better manage risk and avoid future offending.
- Create new domestic violence offences and develop uniform national knife crimes.
- Expand fast-track Family Law resolutions for cases not involving children and an asset pool of less than $1.5 million.
- Improve online safety for women and children.
- Support the Leaving Violence Payment.
- Increase crisis helpline support so victim-survivors fleeing family and domestic violence have their calls answered and get the immediate assistance they require.
- Support community organisations deliver domestic violence awareness training.
- Recycle mobile phones for victim-survivors of family and domestic violence.
- Expand the Safe Places Emergency Accommodation program.
- Improve child safety and protection and ensure the delivery of the National Plan.
These policies build on the Coalition’s record and previous policy commitments, including new offences in the Criminal Code relating to the use of a carriage service for intimate partner or family violence, a presumption against bail for these new offences and extending our plan allowing Australians to access up to $50,000 of their super so that women fleeing violence can get help to buy a home and restart their lives.
Liberal Candidate for Robertson, Ms Lucy Wicks, noted the importance of holistic services for victim-survivors of family and domestic violence.
“I have long advocated for a Central Coast Trauma Recovery Centre in the Gosford area to address the many issues that face women and children after leaving an abusive relationship or incident.”
Only a Dutton Coalition Government will comprehensively address family and domestic violence to improve women’s and children’s safety.
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