Gurmesh Singh MP

NEW REFUGES TO SUPPORT WOMEN & CHILDREN LEAVING VIOLENCE

The NSW Government has boosted critical support services for thousands of domestic violence victim-survivors with the funding of 39 new refuges across the state.

Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh said a new refuge to be delivered on the Coffs Coast will scale up vital support for women and children in our region.

“These homes provide greater capacity in the Coffs Coast community for safe, private, and independent living spaces for victim survivors and their children,” Mr Singh said.

“I don’t want a single person in our local community to be harmed by domestic and family violence, but until we can remove this scourge from our society, it is crucial we have supports in place for victims.

“These new refuges are funded through the largest investment in domestic and family violence supports in NSW history and will provide long-term infrastructure to support women and children escaping domestic and family violence.”

Minister for Women’s Safety and the Prevention of Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Natalie Ward said the new refuges delivered under the NSW Government’s Core and Cluster program follows trials in Orange and Griffith.

“These 39 new refuges will be designed in the new Core and Cluster model which is an innovative model that provides independent living and access to critical services such as counselling, legal assistance and further education,” Mrs Ward said.

“Additionally, we have doubled funding for capacity building projects, from $2.2 million to $4.4 million, to support service providers in the delivery of focused and culturally sensitive domestic and family violence services.”

The Perrottet Government announced $484.3 million in October 2021 to establish new Women’s Refuges in NSW.