Housing Plus to open new domestic violence refuge in Dubbo

Visiting Dubbo on Wednesday, Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison announced the government would be partnering with Housing Plus to deliver 10 refuges across regional NSW.

"Housing for women and children is often the reason they don't leave a place of violence so this announcement is an incredibly important one to provide that safe accommodation," she told media.

"Domestic violence is something that is affecting people right across our state from all walks of life so it's important that we provide a safe place for women and children right across NSW.

"I'm looking forward to working with Housing Plus in seeing those shelters rolled out to provide a safe place for women and children who are leaving domestic violence."

Housing Plus acting CEO Penny Dordoy said the organisation is building new refuges in Dubbo and Bathurst - set to be complete by 2026 - and partnering with other regional organisations to deliver eight more.

"These refuges will provide a safe haven for women and children escaping domestic violence and a place that they are welcomed into and have privacy, dignity and have their own front and back door so they can thrive and recover from the trauma," she said.

The new refuges will be based on a first-of-its-kind 'Core and Cluster' model, which was piloted at The Orchard in Orange in 2020. The model consists of a number of self-contained units built around a shared central space.

"A 'Core and Cluster' design really promotes everything the women and the children need to be on one site so that means she doesn't have to leave to access services and her family can recover in privacy as they need to," Ms Dordoy said.

"Families need private space to establish routines and to have their ups and downs, for their dignity and privacy.

"Shared facilities are also great for many women but we do know they can be a deterrent for women who feel that their family won't cope in a shared situation. This really gives people choice."

Minister Harrison said the government plans to build 27 women's refuges across regional NSW to directly support more than 2,900 women and children who have experienced family violence.

In 2022, NSW Police recorded 33,410 incidences of domestic violence related assault across the state. In the Dubbo local government area alone, police recorded 669 domestic violence related assault offences.

"Women and children in the regions experience incredible amounts of domestic violence - and it's felt because of the lack of services, the distance between services, poorer telecommunications and the presence of firearms," Ms Dordoy said.

"The further out in NSW a woman is experiencing domestic violence the more important it is to have the facilities and the refuges and the services that she needs."

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