Nardine women’s shelter boss suggests dramatic solution to fix systemic issues

The head of WA’s oldest women’s crisis refuge Nardine would “knock it down and start all over again” if she had her way. Chief executive Linda Malone said hundreds had to be turned away each year because the domestic violence shelter was always at capacity and was badly out of date. As a result, it cannot cater for people with disabilities, their religious practices or anyone with culturally diverse needs. An investigation by The Sunday Times has revealed many of WA’s 45 refuges are failing to keep up with increasingly complex needs of clients, and no funding to improve their facilities. “We certainly don’t have a facility that could give somebody in a wheelchair everything that they needed,” Ms Malone said. “We should really have more purpose-built places. Evolving from empty houses taken over by the women’s liberation movement in the 1970s, refuges have forged a vital place in protecting Australian victims of domestic violence. Nardine opened the same year as Australia’s first dedicated women’s shelter — Elsie in Redfern, Sydney. In the early days, Australian refuges were mostly packed communal accommodation. But the best practice model has since evolved to “core and cluster” facilities with individualised wraparound services. The model typically consists of a “cluster” of separate, self-contained units that can be modified to the family size and are linked to a “core” communal area for onsite support. It offers greater privacy and independence, with office spaces, counselling rooms and other services attached. Some newer shelters in WA, like Lucy Saw’s Andrea Mia refuge, were built under those more modern design principles. While some older facilities have or are in the redevelopment process, like Stirling Women’s Centre, others still aren’t as updated nor suitable. Indigo Junction manager Janine Bell said her refuge was working on a much-needed expansion. It has recently purchased the block next door and is planning to build an additional 10 units to accommodate more families escaping domestic violence. “We need housing. If we have more availability and transitional housing, we could be working with so many more families,” Ms Bell said. “There’s so many families living in cars, it’s horrendous, because the refuges are full. “We’ve gone from holding the client six to 12 weeks to months long. It’s not that same turnaround. It’s a cycle that we need to break, and we need the government to step up and put more funding in.” Ms Malone welcomed the improved government funding and community attitudes since Nardine first began but said there was still a long way to go. After Victoria’s landmark Royal Commission into Family Violence was established in 2015, that State has moved to phase out communal refuges and contributed billions of dollars to bolster the system. Ms Malone said she would like the WA Government to make a similar phase-out commitment. Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing chief executive Alison Evans said she believed the new designs signal the State Government’s recognition of the need to move away from communal refuges. Author Suellen Murray reviewed the State’s history of responses to domestic violence — using Nardine as a case study — more than two decades ago in her book “More than Refuge”. She was “surprised and disappointed” to hear how little had changed since then. “I just think it could be so much better,” Professor Murray said. “The Victorian Government actually had the will, and often this is just about political will. “If governments have got the political will, you can do these things.” Support is available from 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.