Ballina Women’s Refuge
A SAFE place for women and children to escape domestic violence in Ballina is under threat.
The Ballina Women’s Refuge provides a safe place for more than 130 women and children escaping domestic and family violence each year and requires ongoing funding to deliver accommodation and vital domestic and family violence support services.
A campaign has been started to raise funds for the refuge as it struggles to survive without sufficient government support.
Federal Member for Richmond Justine Elliot raised the problem in parliament recently.
“The government must urgently support locals fleeing domestic violence,” she said.
“As a former police officer, I have seen first-hand how vital women’s refuges are in providing crisis accommodation for women and children fleeing domestic violence.
“In Parliament today I made sure that the Liberals and Nationals were well aware of the impact of their lack of recurrent funding for places like Momentum Collective’s Ballina Women’s and Children’s Refuge – who are being forced to hold a fundraiser tomorrow just to keep their doors open.
“The New South Wales Government funding is due to cease on June 30 and the fact is, without further funding this service will be forced to close.”
Last year, Momentum Collective took over operation of the refuge.
“The refuge is currently run by local organisation Momentum Collective, who took on its operation last year when the charity running it was unable to get enough donations to stay open,” Ms Elliot said.
“Momentum Collective were specifically asked for the New South Wales Department of Communities and Justice to take it over, and they received a one-off funding grant from the department, which now ceases at the end of this month.
“Momentum Collective stepped up to do their part, the local community, the business community stepped up to.
“Now it’s time for both the federal and state governments to do their part and urgently provide this desperately needed recurrent funding.”
In a bipartisan show of support, NSW MLC Catherine Cusack and MPs Tamara Smith and Janelle Saffin have all pitched in to help launch the Ballina refuge fundraising campaign, as well as local comedian Mandy Nolan.
Ms Nolan, the ambassador for the Ballina refuge campaign, says domestic and family violence is an issue that concerns the whole community.
She has lived experience of domestic and family violence and is passionate about the issue.
“Violence is not a women’s issue; it is a whole of community issue. As someone who grew up in domestic violence, I know what it’s like not to be a child and not have a safe space. As a woman who later lived in domestic violence, I know what it is like to feel the complex stigma,” Ms Nolan says.
“It is particularly difficult for women and children in regional areas to find safe space when they are moving away from violence. We know this is the time they are most at risk. This is why places like the Ballina Women and Children’s Refuge are so important. It provides the support and the protection so that women can start to rebuild their lives.”
Momentum Collective’s service director Sarah Dybing says the campaign launch demonstrated that domestic and family violence was everybody’s business.
“We appreciate the fact that our local MPs have come together here today to support the Ballina women’s and children’s refuge. It is the only safe harbour for women and children escaping family and domestic violence in our local community,” Ms Dybing said.
“Momentum Collective became involved to support the refuge in 2019, and began operating it in 2020, to ensure the doors remained opened. We now want to ensure the refuge can continue to operate with ongoing support services. Like the rest of Australia, Ballina is experiencing a housing crisis with a shortfall of affordable housing. It is vital that women and children in Ballina have a safe and stable place to go when they need to leave a violent and abusive environment.”
The Ballina community rallied last year to help renovate and refurbish the refuge to ensure that women and children seeking support would feel welcome and comfortable in the house, Ms Dybing said.
“Our team has been overwhelmed by the generosity of the Ballina community with so many pitching in to help us. A number of small businesses have organised fundraising events and Ballina on Richmond Rotary has been a constant supporter,” she said.
“I would invite all of our local businesses to get on board with fundraising events and everyone in the community to help us by donating to the campaign. Every little bit helps us keep women and children safe and allows us to support families to overcome the trauma and upheaval brought on by domestic and family violence.”
NSW MLC Catherine Cusack said safety was a basic human right for women and children.
“Feeling and being at risk invades their every waking moment. It ruins work and education opportunities. It destroys self-esteem – and so in addition to providing accommodation, refuges provide expert support that can turn lives around.”
Visit the Momentum Collective website for more information on how to donate and fundraise for the Ballina Women’s and Children’s refuge: www.mymomentum.org.au/donate/
