Broome is set to receive Western Australia’s fourth One Stop Hub (Hub) for family and domestic violence (FDV).
The Kimberley was confirmed as the state’s second regional Hub during last year’s 16 Days in WA Campaign, with Broome today announced as the new location.
Following on from the successful launch of the Mara Pirni Healing Place in Kalgoorlie in late 2020, the Broome FDV Hub will be the second location in regional WA.
The Broome Hub forms part of a $60 million package of election commitments made by the McGowan Government and will further support work to promote Aboriginal family safety.
Broome and the surrounding West Kimberley area was identified as an area of high demand for family and domestic violence services, with the West Kimberley district recording the highest number of FDV hospital related admissions per head of population in WA.
The Broome Hub will also provide specialist support and family and domestic violence outreach services in the nearby regional centres of Derby and Bidyadanga.
The Hub model provides a range of specialist family and domestic violence and other community services in one location, prioritising ease of access for victims who are seeking help and support. By co-locating key support with other services, such as legal, financial and creche services, and with community programming, the hubs create a ‘soft’ entry point that also reduce the stigma often attached to seeking assistance.
The Broome Hub will be designed to deliver a culturally appropriate service and reflect the needs of the community in Broome and the surrounding areas, which has a high rate of Aboriginal women experiencing family violence.
Consultation will begin shortly with community members, Aboriginal Elders, people with a lived experience of family and domestic violence, peak bodies, service providers and other government agencies. A tender process will then get underway to identify a service provider and the Hub site.
The Broome Hub is expected to officially open in late 2023. Further details on the One Stop Hub program, which is being delivered in line with Path to Safety: Western Australia’s Strategy to Reduce Family and Domestic Violence 2020-2030, can be viewed on the Department of Communities website.
As stated by Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Simone McGurk:
“Family violence is a major problem in the Kimberley but reporting it to police is not an option for everyone. The Broome Hub will provide a soft entry point where victim-survivors have access to a range of supports so they can get the assistance that is right for them.
“In establishing WA’s fourth One Stop FDV Hub we are delivering on an important election commitment and bringing together specialist services so that victim-survivors don’t need to retell their story and relive their trauma as they visit multiple agencies.
“The McGowan Government has made addressing family and domestic violence a priority – investing more than $150 million of new funding in family and domestic violence services since coming into Government.
“The Broome Hub will be tailored to meet the needs of the local community, an approach that has had great success in Mirrabooka and Kalgoorlie. Another FDV hub is due to open in Armadale early next year.
“The State Government is committed to delivering family and domestic violence services to respond to the needs of the community, and that’s why a consultation process will take place to ensure the Broome Hub is culturally responsive and accessible to anyone who may require its services.”
As stated by Kimberley MLA Divina D’Anna
“Family and domestic violence is a problem everywhere, but support for victim-survivors has to be tailored to the community they live in – and that is why having a Hub here in the Kimberley is so important.
“The Broome Hub is another tool to address the issue of family and domestic violence in the region and will further support work the government is doing to promote Aboriginal family safety.
“I welcome the State Government’s decision to bring a FDV Hub to Broome, and I hope having a culturally appropriate entry point will encourage more people to seek help.”
