More than 30 women and children fleeing abusive relationships each year will benefit from the expansion of The Orchard in Bathurst, with three new emergency refuge units opening.
The first five units at The Orchard were developed and built by Housing Plus and opened in January 2023, with service delivery funded by the NSW Government’s Core and Cluster program.
Since then, it has provided accommodation for over 100 women and children escaping violent and unsafe homes.
An additional $1.95 million under the Core and Cluster program has enabled an additional three units to be built on the site.
The Core and Cluster refuge model promotes independent living by providing self-contained accommodation located next to a ‘core’ of support that facilitates access to services such as counselling, legal assistance, education, and employment support.
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Plus Community, the community service arm of Housing Plus, will deliver tailored, on-site support to help victim-survivors rebuild their lives and heal from trauma.
The state government has invested $426.6 million over four years in the Core and Cluster program to support an additional 2,900 women and children fleeing domestic and family violence across the state each year.
Labor spokesperson for Bathurst Stephen Lawrence MLC said “The funding for and opening of three new emergency refuge units at The Orchard today is welcome support for women and children fleeing abusive relationships in my duty electorate of Bathurst." Mr Lawrence added “This a vital program funded by the Minns Labor Government securing the safety of victim survivors and supporting their recovery.”
Independent member for Calare, Andrew Gee shared on Facebook "These three state of the art units are funded by the New South Wales Government and join five other units which have recently been constructed on the site with a $400,000 Federal Government grant." he said.
"Domestic violence is a scourge in our regional communities and it must be brought to an end...In years gone by domestic violence was not a topic that was openly discussed and it was widely regarded as a private matter. It’s not private. Domestic violence is a crime and everybody in our society has a responsibility to talk about it, shine a light on it and end it." Mr Gee said.
The bespoke accommodation facilities in Bathurst will help connect more people experiencing family and domestic violence to access support services across our region. In Forbes, Catholic Care Willcannia-Forbes also offer crisis support, with Margaret House Refuge in Young providing dedicated accommodation including crisis accommodation.
If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, call the Police on Triple Zero / 000.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic and family violence, call the NSW Domestic Violence Line on 1800 65 64 63 for free counselling and referrals, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For Mensline Call 1300 78 99 78
For confidential advice, support, and referrals, contact 1800 RESPECT or 13 YARN
