Mr MITCHELL - 1999-10-13
A couple of years ago I was approached by women of the Bagot community regarding assistance with funding towards a women’s crisis centre in that locality. Can the minister advise on progress on this?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker,I know the amount of work the member for Millner has done towards getting this crisis centre for women at Bagot. He’s been instrumental in assisting them with their submission and he lobbied my predecessor very hard. He will be very pleased to know that the building has been handed over to the Bagot community and will be opened very shortly.
This government is committed to reducing domestic violence and we have a number of strategies. Providing safe havens for women needing to escape domestic violence or to have relief from alcohol-related incidents at home is an important part of one of our strategies. My department has 2 special housing programs under the Commonwealth/State Housing Agreement - the crisis accommodation program and the community housing program. Approximately $1m per year goes towards these programs and a further $0.5m is provided through the Territory Housing capital works program.
I am very pleased to say that as, a result of the member for Millner’s intense lobbying, the Bagot community received $335 000 to provide this emergency crisis accommodation.
A member: That was good lobbying.
Mrs BRAHAM: It was very good lobbying indeed.
The Bagot community is to be commended for what they’ve done. They’ve taken the responsibility for this centre. They’re going to staff it with a full-time coordinator. They will fund it through a CDEP program and it will be administered through their community council. This really is a big step, for them to take on this big responsibility. The centre will be available for indigenous women, not just in Bagot but from throughout Darwin, who need to escape from the violent situations that sometimes they find themselves in. I believe that this will be one of those very good, successful programs where we see Aboriginal people accept responsibility.
At the moment they’re installing security lighting and security fencing. We are all aware that this must be a secure, safe environment for women. Quite often these centres are under attack, as the member for Barkly will know. It happened recently in Tennant Creek. It is most important that the centre is set up in such a way that it becomes very safe. Also, it has to look attractive, so the project will include landscaping and the other necessary facilities.
It is not a large building - there will be 4 bedrooms, a communal kitchen and a clinic - but I’m quite sure, because it’s there in the Bagot community, it will provide just what is needed for women in this area. I’m very pleased that the member for Millner has been so vocal and instrumental in getting this. He has been one of the major drivers in this program. He knows many of the residents and has for a long time realised that domestic violence is a problem among Aboriginal women. I think because he understands that he has taken this step towards helping them to achieve the centre.
I need to inform the House also, after some of the comments that have been made here this morning, that the crisis accommodation program provides support not only for women but also for other groups in our society. Funding goes to help homeless youth, homeless men and homeless families. 13 organisations throughout the Territory received funding under this program last financial year. I anticipate that that level of funding will continue with the new multilateral agreement that we signed last month. The Commonwealth/State Housing Agreement guarantees funding for us for the next 4 years.
This government has introduced a number of measures and programs designed to promote awareness within the community and influence the attitude of people towards domestic violence. Our motto is ‘It’s Got To Stop’, and we all agree with it very much. This crisis accommodation program is an important component of government strategy. Certainly, for the Bagot community, this is a big step in the right direction, , accepting responsibility for their women in need. I commend not only the Bagot community but also the member for Millner, for his efforts in achieving this.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker,I know the amount of work the member for Millner has done towards getting this crisis centre for women at Bagot. He’s been instrumental in assisting them with their submission and he lobbied my predecessor very hard. He will be very pleased to know that the building has been handed over to the Bagot community and will be opened very shortly.
This government is committed to reducing domestic violence and we have a number of strategies. Providing safe havens for women needing to escape domestic violence or to have relief from alcohol-related incidents at home is an important part of one of our strategies. My department has 2 special housing programs under the Commonwealth/State Housing Agreement - the crisis accommodation program and the community housing program. Approximately $1m per year goes towards these programs and a further $0.5m is provided through the Territory Housing capital works program.
I am very pleased to say that as, a result of the member for Millner’s intense lobbying, the Bagot community received $335 000 to provide this emergency crisis accommodation.
A member: That was good lobbying.
Mrs BRAHAM: It was very good lobbying indeed.
The Bagot community is to be commended for what they’ve done. They’ve taken the responsibility for this centre. They’re going to staff it with a full-time coordinator. They will fund it through a CDEP program and it will be administered through their community council. This really is a big step, for them to take on this big responsibility. The centre will be available for indigenous women, not just in Bagot but from throughout Darwin, who need to escape from the violent situations that sometimes they find themselves in. I believe that this will be one of those very good, successful programs where we see Aboriginal people accept responsibility.
At the moment they’re installing security lighting and security fencing. We are all aware that this must be a secure, safe environment for women. Quite often these centres are under attack, as the member for Barkly will know. It happened recently in Tennant Creek. It is most important that the centre is set up in such a way that it becomes very safe. Also, it has to look attractive, so the project will include landscaping and the other necessary facilities.
It is not a large building - there will be 4 bedrooms, a communal kitchen and a clinic - but I’m quite sure, because it’s there in the Bagot community, it will provide just what is needed for women in this area. I’m very pleased that the member for Millner has been so vocal and instrumental in getting this. He has been one of the major drivers in this program. He knows many of the residents and has for a long time realised that domestic violence is a problem among Aboriginal women. I think because he understands that he has taken this step towards helping them to achieve the centre.
I need to inform the House also, after some of the comments that have been made here this morning, that the crisis accommodation program provides support not only for women but also for other groups in our society. Funding goes to help homeless youth, homeless men and homeless families. 13 organisations throughout the Territory received funding under this program last financial year. I anticipate that that level of funding will continue with the new multilateral agreement that we signed last month. The Commonwealth/State Housing Agreement guarantees funding for us for the next 4 years.
This government has introduced a number of measures and programs designed to promote awareness within the community and influence the attitude of people towards domestic violence. Our motto is ‘It’s Got To Stop’, and we all agree with it very much. This crisis accommodation program is an important component of government strategy. Certainly, for the Bagot community, this is a big step in the right direction, , accepting responsibility for their women in need. I commend not only the Bagot community but also the member for Millner, for his efforts in achieving this.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016