- State Government's 16 Days in WA campaign ends today
- 12 inaugural members appointed to the new Lived Experience Advisory Group
- Coincides with the release of the first progress report on the implementation of the System Reform Plan, which was developed by the Family and Domestic Violence Taskforce
The Cook Government is calling on the Western Australian community to continue playing their part to stop family and domestic violence before it starts, with today marking the end of the eighth 16 Days in WA campaign.
A raft of announcements have been made by the State Government throughout the campaign to support victim-survivors of family and domestic violence, including a new $86 million package unveiled by Premier Roger Cook, bringing total investment to more than half a billion dollars since 2017.
The package committed nearly $19 million to support refuge service providers across WA to continue their important work, and $8.2 million to pilot a range of therapeutic services for children and young people impacted by family and domestic violence.
Other announcements included:
- service providers announced to deliver $3.1 million men's behaviour change programs in Bunbury, Albany and Northam;
- St John WA rolling out nation-leading family and domestic violence training to its frontline paramedics and volunteers;
- the opening of the expanded Goldfields Women's Refuge, which has now doubled its capacity to support victim-survivors in the region; and
- service providers announced to deliver the Safe at Home program in Kalgoorlie, Port Hedland and Kununurra.
In addition, the Cook Government has now appointed the 12 members of the family and domestic violence Lived Experience Advisory Group, which will ensure those with lived experience have a say on the policies and services that impact them.
The expression of interest process to form the group attracted nearly 200 applications from people across WA, with the consultation process led by lived experience advocate Alison Scott and Kwobap Consultancy.
It will include representation from a diverse range of backgrounds, with five of the members being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In addition, there are members who live with either a disability or impairment, are LGBTIQA+, and/or are from culturally and linguistically diverse, refugee or migrant communities.
The group is set to meet six times a year, with the first planned for early next year.
Its establishment comes alongside the first public progress report on the implementation of the System Reform Plan, which was developed by the State Government's historic Family and Domestic Violence Taskforce.
The plan aims to create a more integrated system and service response that is easier for victim-survivors to navigate, and more effective at managing risk posed by perpetrators.
As stated by Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Sabine Winton:
"As 16 Days in WA comes to an end, I want to encourage everyone in the Western Australian community to consider how they can play their part each and every day in preventing family and domestic violence.
"Family and domestic violence is a scourge on our society and has a devastating impact on families and communities.
"That's why our Government is continuing to play our part through supporting victim-survivors and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.
"I am particularly proud to announce that the 12 inaugural members of the Lived Experience Advisory Group have been appointed.
"The response to the expression of interest process was outstanding and I want to thank everyone who put their hand up to share their experiences and expertise.
"These members will play a crucial role in ensuring our policies and systems prioritise the needs of victim-survivors."
