Finding a bed made easier thanks to Lotterywest grant

A Lotterywest grant will allow women’s refuges in Western Australia to share information online so that women escaping domestic violence can access emergency accommodation faster.

Communities Minister Sue Ellery said the $16,375 grant would be used by the Women’s Council for Domestic and Family Violence Services to establish a refuges online bed availability system.

“The new online system will allow the council to know at any one time where beds are readily available for women and children in need,” Ms Ellery said.

“Getting victims into safe accommodation sooner will help ensure that all women and children can live free of domestic and family violence.”

The new system is expected to be up and running by October this year.

The Minister said the State Government was at the forefront of the campaign against domestic and family violence.

“The Carpenter Government introduced new family and domestic violence legislation in 2004, which increased the penalties for offenders and gave police the powers to have offenders immediately removed from the home for up to 72 hours,” she said.

“In the past year, WA Police were called to 33,200 family violence-related incidents and issued 8,300 orders to have offenders removed from the family home.

“The State and Federal Governments jointly fund five domestic violence outreach projects, which provide information and support to victims and perpetrators of domestic violence following the issuing of a police order.

“Family violence courts which aim to break the cycle of violence have also been established in Joondalup, Fremantle, Midland, and Rockingham, as well as an Aboriginal-specific court in Geraldton.

“The State Government also announced $3million in funding for a unique safe house in the eastern suburbs, to provide refuge for teenage mothers and their children who are escaping domestic violence.”

The millions of dollars of grant money available to the WA community was a result of strong support of Lotterywest products by WA Lotto players. The latest figures mean the total raised for the WA community over Lotterywest’s 75 years is a remarkable $2.8billion.