Labor pledges more help for women and children fleeing domestic violence in Macquarie

Every year across Australia, nearly 10,000 women and children seeking safety are turned away because there isn’t an available bed. For many women and children, this means homelessness – couch surfing, sleeping in the car, on the street or, potentially even worse, returning to the perpetrator.

The Women’s Cottage manager Maria Losurdo, MP Susan Templeman and Shadow Assistant Minister for Communities and the Prevention of Family Violence, Senator Jenny McAllister in Richmond today

Labor MP Susan Templeman said today – Thursday – if a Labor Government is elected on May 21 it will provide $1.04 million for additional crisis accommodation as well as funding for nine extra case workers for women and children fleeing domestic violence in Macquarie, which includes the Hawkesbury.

The announcement was made by Ms Templeman and Jenny McAllister, Shadow Assistant Minister for Communities and the Prevention of Family Violence, at The Women’s Cottage in Richmond.

The additional housing funds could help as many as 94 women and children to find refuge, while funding for the nine case workers means frontline services will be able to support 720 women during the hardest time of their lives.

“Right now, women in Macquarie fleeing violence are being turned away from accommodation and support services because of insufficient funding from the Morrison Government,” said the MP.

“Victim-survivors are being left to fend for themselves or worse – are forced to return to an abusive partner.”

“Resources have been severely stretched in our region due to fires and floods on top of COVID, all of which have increased need.

“This funding will give frontline services the flexibility they need to employ staff with the specialist skills required to deliver the appropriate support to victim-survivors and comes on top of what has been previously announced by the government.

“Having a trained professional step through the process of leaving a violent relationship is essential. Survivors of violence are strong, and they deserve our help to rebuild their lives,” Ms Templeman said.

“Over the past decade, the federal Liberal Government has failed to take this task seriously enough.”

Shadow Assistant Minister for Communities and the Prevention of Family Violence, Senator Jenny McAllister, said this is why an Albanese Labor Government will establish the Housing Australia Future Fund to build 30,000 social and affordable homes across the country.

This includes at least 4000 homes for women and children fleeing violence and older women on low incomes who are at risk of homelessness, plus an additional $100 million for crisis accommodation.

“We also know that an extra pair of hands can make an enormous difference,” Senator McAllister said.

“The organisations we talk to say that an extra person working on staff can help between 80 and 100 additional women and children each year.

“That’s why Labor will invest in 500 new workers across Australia to support people who are facing violence.

“Labor will tackle the scourge of domestic violence with ambition and urgency.”

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