A new women’s refuge has been officially opened in Kwinana, ensuring better services for women who are escaping family and domestic violence.
Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Simone McGurk launched the completed refuge, which will offer women and children a safe place to call home during a crisis.
The refuge has been named ‘Andrea Mia’ in tribute to Andrea Pickett, who was killed by her husband in 2009 in shocking circumstances.
Ms Pickett’s death led to the 2012 Hope Inquest, and was a catalyst for significant change in the Western Australian family and domestic violence system. Ms Pickett’s family members have given their permission and blessing for the refuge’s name.
The Lucy Saw Centre Association will operate the new refuge, which will strengthen the capacity and capability of existing family and domestic violence support services in Western Australia.
The Lucy Saw Centre Association is an established and well-known family and domestic violence service provider that already supports women, children and the community in Perth’s south.
From a small house in the Rockingham area, the Lucy Saw Centre has grown to be the lead agency in the metropolitan south-west corridor for high-risk service provision. It recently marked 40 years of service in the Rockingham and Kwinana area.
The Andrea Mia refuge will significantly increase available crisis accommodation, adding welcomed additional support for the services currently offered in the Kwinana area.
The project was originally six units, built at a cost of $2.5 million, but the WA Government announced an additional $2 million investment in the Kwinana refuge as part of WA Recovery Plan.
The additional funds are enabling six more accommodation units to be built at the site, with the expansion works expected to be completed by June 2021.
The launch of the Kwinana refuge follows last week’s official opening of ‘Warlang Bidi – Supporting Women and Children’, which is the State’s first therapeutic women’s refuge, in Peel.
The launch of the Andrea Mia refuge coincides with day 11 of the government’s fourth annual 16 Days in WA campaign to stop violence against women and their families.
The campaign, which has a theme of ‘Respect Starts With You’ in 2020, aims to shift community attitudes and views that can lead to violence occurring.
Source: WA Government