Domestic violence prevention minister Jessica Stojkowski visits Albany Refuge to set aside $6.9m for six units

Women and children fleeing domestic violence in the Great Southern will soon have six more safe crisis accommodation units to stay in, as the State Government delivers $6.9m for the completion of a refuge. The money funds stage two of the Albany Refuge centre, which will eventually include 12 self-contained units to house up to 166 women and children. Stage one, funded by the Federal Government, is currently under construction and includes six of the units and an administration building. Stage one is set to be completed by June of 2026, with stage two aiming to be completed by June 2027. The refuge will be staffed by Anglicare WA and Southern Aboriginal Corporation encouraging safe, secure and “culturally appropriate” housing to provide victim-survivors the space to begin rebuilding their lives. Investment in the project was committed in January as part of Labor’s State election promise blitz, with former minister for prevention of family and domestic violence Sabine Winton flagging $10.7m to be dedicated to the expansion. Current minister for prevention of family and domestic violence Jessica Stojkowski, who travelled to Albany to announce the $6.9m funding allocation on Wednesday, said the remainder of the $10.7m will be set aside for operation of the refuge once it is up and running. She said the refuge is the result of ongoing advocacy by Great Southern service providers, former Albany MLA Rebecca Stephens, and Albany-based Samantha Rowe MLC. “Refuge accommodation is needed across the State and in Albany specifically,” she said. “Obviously, Albany is quite a large population centre, and it’s just an acknowledgement of the services that are required to help all victim survivors across the State.” The expanded refuge capacity was announced on day two of the State Government’s 16 Days in WA violence prevention campaign, with Ms Stojkovski saying the campaign is a key way of starting opening up the taboo topic. “It’s just an awareness campaign, not the whole campaign and it’s just our way of starting those conversations,” she said. “This year, our focus has been on men and boys, not about demonising boys or men, but about saying that if we want a true community response to family and domestic violence, we have to open up the conversation to men and boys as well, and they have to be the ones to step up and stand with us and make those changes.”