Government funded Women's Safe House in Roebourne opened

27/4/00

Family and Children's Services Minister June van de Klashorst said the Maanga Tharndu Maya facility for women she officially opened in Roebourne today was an effective service to assist in the area of family violence.
The Minister said the Government funded service was run by the local Mawarnkarra Health Service Aboriginal Corporation and was established after extensive community consultation.
"Solutions to the problem of family violence in Aboriginal communities can only come from the community itself and cannot be imposed from the outside," she said.
"In this way Maanga Tharndu Maya was a good example of what can be achieved and showed how Government can work with the local community to help it find its own solutions."
Mrs van de Klashorst said the fact that the safe house was being run by the Mawarnkarra Health Service also meant women using the facility would have ready access to primary health care.
"The corporation receives more than $215,000 a year from the Government to run the facility which can also refer clients to other services as well as assist women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness," the Minister said.
"The demand for services since the centre opened last July shows that it is meeting a real need in the community.
"Quality services delivered at the local level provide the foundation on which healthy communities are built."
Media contact: Owen Cole 9481 7810