Indigenous women and children in crisis in Perth will benefit from expanded services following the official opening of a new refuge on land bought by the ILC.

The ILC provided $1m to the Aboriginal Alcohol and Drugs Service (AADS) to buy a site and expand Wooree Miya Women’s Refuge crisis accommodation and child support services.

Pictured at right: AADS Chair Mary Cowley, AADS CEO Daniel Morrison, ILC Executive Director Tricia Button and ILC Western Divisional Manager Kate Alderton with the ILC Deed of Grant signed with AADS. 

The land and subsequent grant to AADS helped secure other funding over $7m for new premises and expand its child protection services on the site.

ILC Chairperson Mr Eddie Fry said he was proud of the ILC’s contribution to Wooree Miya.

“This project is a fantastic example of how collaboration by a number of agencies has helped double the capacity of a refuge and that means AADS is in a far stronger position to support Indigenous women in crisis,” Mr Fry said.

“The new facility supplies an increase for crisis accommodation for Indigenous women escaping domestic violence and other family breakdown, and Wooree Miya will also offer specialist services and training in life and parenting skills, and pre-employment skills. An important and new feature is the new facility can accommodate women with older boys and larger families.

 “It is particularly important for this project that Wooree Miya staff are Indigenous, providing culturally appropriate and sensitive care. It is expected that the six full-time and four casual employees of the current refuge will increase to 11 full-time, one part-time, eight casual and three trainees in the first three years.

“A total of 92 Indigenous training benefits are projected,” Mr Fry said.

AADS applied to the ILC for land in 2012. AADS, an Indigenous community controlled service established in 1989, manages the site as part of a holistic and culturally secure intervention program.

The WA Housing Authority and Lotterywest provided funding for new the construction and fit-out
The WA Department for Child Protection and Family Support increased AADS’s operational funding to support the expanded child protection program.