Question On Notice No. 1463 asked in the Legislative Council on 14 August 2018 by Hon Alison Xamon
Question Directed to the: Leader of the House representing the Minister for Child Protection; Women's Interests; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence; Community Services
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Question
I
refer to women who are ineligible for government assistance including, but not
limited to, those on bridging visas, student visas and spouses of men on 457
visas, and I ask:
(a) is
the Minister aware how many of these women seek refuge from family and domestic
violence in Western Australia each year;
(b) if
yes to (a), how many;
(c) if
no to (a), why not;
(d) is the Minister aware how many of these women are accommodated in refuges in Western Australia;
(e) if
yes to (d):
(i) how
many were accommodated in 2017; and
(ii) what
was their average length of stay in a refuge;
(f) is
the Minister aware of how many women who are not eligible for government
assistance are turned away from refuges;
(g) if
yes to (f), how many were turned away in 2017;
(h) if
no to (f), why not; and
(i) what
funding is available for refuges to enable them to support women who experience
family and domestic violence and who are ineligible for government support?
Answered on 11 September 2018
(a-h) Data regarding the use of specialist homelessness services, including women’s refuges, is managed by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the national agency for information and statistics on Australia’s health and welfare issues. Not-for-profit community sector organisations contracted by the Department of Communities are required to provide services appropriate and accessible to women and children experiencing family and domestic violence. No person should be denied a service because of culture, race, disability, sexuality or inability to pay for the service.
Data is collected according to the type of assistance being sought, however, data is not collected on clients’ ineligibility for government assistance and the information is not differentiated by residency or visa status. Therefore it is not possible to answer the Member’s question.
(i) Across the State, the Department of Communities provides approximately $24.2 million per year in funding to family and domestic violence accommodation and support services The Department of Communities has a Grant Agreement with the Women’s Council for Domestic and Family Violence Services (WA) Inc. to provide support directly to women accommodated at a women’s refuge who are ineligible for government assistance. In 2018-19, the Department provided $10,000 (GST exclusive) under the Grant Agreement.