Domestic Violence refuge to open in Tamworth in 2024

NSW Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence Jodie Harrison was in Tamworth on Tuesday, November 7, to make the $7 million announcement ahead of an expected development approval (DA) from the Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) next week.

"Depending on the construction timelines, we are hoping that this particular 'core and cluster' refuge will be available for people to move in around about November 2024," Ms Harrison said.

Once the council has approved the DA, construction on the eight units is expected to begin at the end of 2023 or early next year.

In October last year, plans for the domestic violence shelter in Tamworth were announced as part of about 30 new 'core and cluster' domestic violence refuges across NSW, including another in Gunnedah.

The core refers to onsite services, such as legal, educational, mental health, and job assistance being provided, and the cluster refers to the number of independent living units.

Women will also be allowed to take their pets, and have their own bathroom, kitchen and backyard, in a move away from the shared living situation currently in Tamworth and available to those fleeing domestic violence.

TFSS CEO Belinda Kotris said the current shared-living refuge has been in Tamworth for about 30 years, and at the time it was thought that children were not impacted by domestic violence.

"The impact of domestic violence on children is significant. It's long lasting. So [it's good] to be able to have somewhere where they actually have their own space," Ms Kotris said.

"At the moment, all the families are in a five-bedroom. They're all in one room.

"We've had five women and 15 kids in our existing refuge. And when you think about it, that's not conducive for trauma healing."

Housing Plus CEO Justin Cantelo said it took about a year working with council to find a suitable site before they were gifted some land by the Singh Property Group.

"It's made an incredible difference to our proposal and what we can actually deliver there on the site," Mr Cantelo said.

"It provides self-contained units where women can be treated with dignity, they can have their privacy, and also their independence."

He said they have almost finished the construction drawings and are about to go to the builder.

Ms Harrison "pleaded" with the community, saying "if you see women and children being disrespected, if you see violence, if you hear it, call it out".

Nationals MP Kevin Anderson has also welcomed the new shelter, saying it will be a "game changer" for women and children fleeing domestic violence in Tamworth.

"We have no tolerance for domestic violence, but it's so important that we provide the support needed to keep our women and children safe," Mr Anderson said.

"That's the only way that we are going to be able to eradicate domestic and family violence in New South Wales," Ms Harrison said.

This year, 43 women, and 11 children, in Australia have reportedly been killed in domestic or family violence situations.

The project is being supported by Tamworth Family Support Services (TFSS) and Housing Plus.

The most recent figures from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) show that domestic violence related assaults in the New England North West have jumped a whopping 22.3 per cent in the five years to June 2023.

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