The McGowan Government has shown its ongoing commitment to supporting the community services sector by reversing indexation changes made by the Liberal National Government, which had left organisations supporting our most vulnerable citizens out of pocket.

The previous government changed the NGHSS Indexation Policy to be based entirely on CPI, which reduced funding to the sector.

Community services sector organisations provide essential services and care to our most vulnerable Western Australians including individuals facing homelessness, family and domestic violence, mental health issues and more.

The not-for-profit community services sector has advocated for funding to better reflect wage costs and this change represents the Government’s recognition of the labour intensive nature of community services.

From July 1, 2019, the NGHSS indexation rate will return to its original formula being a blended rate of the Wage Price Index, with an 80 per cent weighting, and the Perth Consumer Price Index (CPI), with a 20 per cent weighting. This policy change will ensure not-for-profit organisations’ contract payments are indexed to better reflect cost increases in the delivery of community services.

All new and continuing not-for-profit community service contracts will increase by 1.47 per cent instead of a 1.16 per cent increase under the previous government’s policy. This change represents an increase of approximately $30.2 million in sector funding over the next four years.

Further details of the updated NGHSS Indexation Policy is available on the Department of Finance’s website.

“The former Liberal National Government’s changes were miserable. They failed to recognise that many community sector organisations are labour intensive, so it is only right we recognise wage costs,” said Community Services Minister Simone McGurk.

“By increasing the indexation rate, the Government offers a fairer and more sustainable approach to the sector and will support the ongoing delivery of services to our most vulnerable citizens.

“Many of the organisations in the sector asked the McGowan Government to reverse this harsh indexation policy and we have listened.”

Finance Minister Ben Wyatt said, “The indexation policy of the previous Liberal National Government actually reduced funding to the community services sector, which made it impossible to maintain their level of services.

“The McGowan Government’s ongoing work get the Budget back into surplus means we can balance strong financial management with the need to support those organisations supporting the most vulnerable in our community.

“These are the sort of rewards for financial management which have an immediate benefit for those in the community who need it most.”

Premier Mark McGowan and Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray today delivered a key election commitment in Perth’s southern suburbs – officially opening the Fremantle Netball Association’s new, Western Australian-built facilities at Frank Gibson Park.

The award-winning Fremantle Netball Association, which is also celebrating its 60th anniversary, is a fixture for many Western Australian families during netball season, with the club’s courts accommodating thousands of local netballers each weekend.

The upgraded facilities include:

• A new pavilion and change rooms;
• A first aid room;
• Toilets and umpires’ rooms; and
• Canteen, kitchen and administration areas.

The project helped support local jobs in the southern suburbs, with the project managed by local builder Buildwell Group with help from local contractors.

The build provided work for a range of local supporting businesses, with Buildwell Group engaging as many local contractors as possible – creating work for electricians, manufacturers, plumbers and other tradespeople.

The McGowan Government funded the project with $1.8 million, through the Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund, which provides support for local organisations to build infrastructure to grow their sport. The total cost of the project was $2.24 million, with the balance contributed by the club itself.

The upgraded facility supports the State Government’s commitment to provide quality grassroots sporting facilities in WA communities, helping Western Australians to live healthy, active lives.

“We said we would build new facilities for Frank Gibson Park and I’m pleased we’ve done it and now able to celebrate its opening. I know local member Lisa O’Malley has been keeping a close eye on this project from day dot to ensure we delivered on this key election commitment for the community in the Bicton electorate,” said Premier Mark McGowan.

“During the construction phase, I also visited to see the progress so it’s terrific to be here today to see the finished product, which was built by local contractors and has contributed to local jobs and the local southern suburbs economy.”

Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray said, “Fremantle Netball Association is a fixture for thousands of Western Australian families, with many young girls forging a lifelong love for sport at the facility.

“Not only will these upgrades set the association up for the next generation and beyond, the project has been built locally, supporting jobs in a range of industries.

“I’d also like to commend the association for their significant contribution to this project. Fundraising is such an important part of grassroots sport and it is great to see the club come together to fund a proportion of this project itself.”

Fremantle MLA Simone McGurk said, “Nothing beats netball for grassroots engagement and involvement of girls and women in sport. I love seeing the thousands who congregate around the courts on Saturdays over winter.

“Fremantle Netball Association are so deserving of these clubroom upgrades to support players, volunteers and supporters at Frank Gibson Park.”

Bicton MLA Lisa O’Malley said healthy communities are active communities, so I’m delighted to see the finished project, which brings immense benefit to the Bicton electorate.

“With local contractors involved in construction and local families being able to enjoy the facilities, this entire project is a win for our local community.

“This state-of-the-art facility for netball players and supporters will ensure Frank Gibson Park remains the heart of the local netball community for years to come.”

Sport in Western Australia is set to benefit from an increased funding allocation to make facilities accessible to women in the latest round of the Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund (CSRFF) program.

The CSRFF provides $12 million a year to community groups and local governments to develop infrastructure for sport and recreation. The last round of the program allocated more than $3 million to projects which provide change rooms and facilities for women.

Applications for the latest round of funding are now open, with changes to the program for 2020-21 including:

• An increase in base funding set aside for women’s facilities, to $500,000; and
• A 50 per cent increase in the maximum project cost for small grants, from $200,000 to $300,000, reducing red tape and paperwork for applicants.

The CSRFF aims to increase participation in sport and recreation by helping build well-designed and well-utilised facilities for grassroots sporting organisations around the State.

For application guidelines and to apply, click here.

“I invite all sporting associations around the State to get their applications in for infrastructure and facilities upgrades at their clubs,” said Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray.

“We’re doubling the amount set aside for women’s facilities because there was such an overwhelming demand in the last round, following the State Government’s commitment to support the big growth in women’s sport.

“By increasing the maximum project cost for small grants to $300,000, projects such as floodlighting, irrigation upgrades, and bowling green and tennis court conversions will be able to be considered in the small grants rounds, reducing the burden of red tape and paperwork on sporting associations.”

Women’s Interests Minister Simone McGurk said,

“Last year the McGowan Government introduced WA’s first fund aimed at improving change rooms and other facilities to properly accommodate women’s sport.

“The fund’s success in that short time speaks for itself, and I’m delighted to see more funding being set aside to give women and girls decent facilities at community sporting clubs.

“While Australian women are shining on the international sporting stage, we know that grassroots sporting opportunities are a vital pathway to women and girls accessing sport.”

The McGowan Government today announced it will amend the Children and Community Services Act 2004 to require ministers of religion to report child sexual abuse, including where they have gained this knowledge through religious confession.

Child Protection Minister Simone McGurk said the changes would deliver an important recommendation of the Western Australian response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Royal Commission).

The new reporting requirements would apply to recognised leaders within faith communities who are authorised to conduct religious worship, services and ceremonies. This includes priests, ministers, imams, rabbis, pastors and Salvation Army officers.

The Northern Territory and South Australia are the only jurisdictions which already require ministers of religion to report child sexual abuse. Similar laws have recently been passed in the Australian Capital Territory Parliament, and a similar proposal has been introduced in the Tasmanian Parliament.

Mandatory reporting laws in WA already apply to doctors, teachers, nurses, midwives, police and school boarding supervisors. If convicted of failing to report there is a $6,000 fine.

The Government expects to introduce the amendments in the second half of this year.

The McGowan Government has responded strongly to the Royal Commission by working to prevent child sexual abuse from happening, responding swiftly and effectively should it occur, and addressing the historical abuse that has occurred in the past.

The State’s first progress report into the WA response to the Royal Commission was released in December last year. Of the 310 recommendations made by the Royal Commission that are applicable to the State Government, 108 have been completed and work has commenced on a further 186 recommendations.

In the 2019-20 State Budget, $5.7 million of funding has been allocated across several government agencies to support the implementation of Royal Commission recommendations including:

• $3.7 million over two years for the Department of Communities to develop a shared national database of Working With Children (WWC) check negative notices; and to progress work on recommendations such as the implementation of child safe standards, addressing harmful sexual behaviours, improving supports for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse; and the introduction of broader mandatory reporting requirements;
• $627,000 for the Department of the Premier and Cabinet to progress work on recommendations related to independent oversight of institutions providing child-related services;
• $741,000 to the WA Police Force to replace and enhance recording equipment to interview children and to digitise historical criminal records to improve WWC check processes; and
• $589,000 for the Ombudsman to progress work on recommendations related to a reportable conduct scheme for WA.

“The McGowan Government is committed to creating a safer Western Australia for children and will not shy away from the work needed to be done to protect children from sexual abuse,” Child Protection Minister Simone McGurk.

“All ministers of religion should be required to report child sexual abuse and be subject to the same laws that we require of other professionals with regards to disclosure of abuse.

“Priests who believe child sex abuse is occurring should report it and they should be held accountable if they fail to do so.

“The community has a right to expect that our children are safe, especially within the institutions we trust to protect them.”

Construction for the new Family Birthing Centre at Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) is well underway with the state-of-the-art birthing facility due to be open in September.

It has been designed in consultation with a group of mums who have utilised FSH maternity services in the past few years.

The centre will feature three birthing suites, two of which will have inbuilt birthing pools and the other a portable pool. There are specially designed birthing cubes, day beds and family lounge facilities.

Extensive research into what promotes an active birth by the FSH midwifery team and advisory group has led to a space where colour, shapes and physical surroundings all come together to promote good birth outcomes. The Family Birthing Centre is designed to help make women feel comfortable, relaxed and at home.

The new family birthing centre will provide women in the south metropolitan catchment access to midwifery-led care, through their antenatal, labour, birth and postnatal periods, currently not available south of the river.

The centre is designed to provide care to women with low-risk pregnancies to have a more home-like, holistic birthing experience.

Being co-located within FSH, which has a birth suite and a neonatal intensive care unit, will enable swifter access to a higher level of care should complications during pregnancy or birth develop.

“This is a testimony to the success of the existing Family Birth Centre at King Edward Memorial Hospital which has done a fantastic job for the past 27 years,” said Health Minister Roger Cook.

“Having a sister birth centre at Fiona Stanley means that women living in our southern suburbs will soon be able to access this model of care much closer to where they live.

“It is exciting to see this centre come to fruition through the voices of so many consumers, working with health professionals to provide women and families a more intimate birth option.

“This is another example of the McGowan Government putting patients first.”

Women’s Interests Minister Simone McGurk said, “The overwhelming feedback I get from women is that the existing family birthing centre is an important option for women and families. I am pleased more women will soon have this as a birthing choice.

“This family birthing centre will provide women with a homely environment and means partners and children have the option to be involved in the birthing process.”

Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Simone McGurk today announced the McGowan Government will commit an additional $30.9 million in the 2019-20 State Budget to address family and domestic violence.

The McGowan Government’s investment in a suite of initiatives includes:

• $11.7 million to establish two new Family and Domestic Violence One Stop Hubs;
• $15.5 million for an electronic monitoring trial to monitor high-risk domestic violence offenders;
• $2.1 million to deliver training to frontline police officers and to develop a family violence Code of Practice;
• $1.1 million of continued funding for the Kimberley Family Violence Service; and
• $415,000 of continued funding for the Pets in Crisis program.

Two new Family and Domestic Violence One Stop Hubs will be established to provide integrated, wraparound services to make it easier for victims to get help sooner, fulfilling an election commitment.

The specialist hubs to be located in Mirrabooka and Kalgoorlie will bring together health, legal, housing and financial counselling services, with specialist domestic violence workers to support victims from diverse backgrounds. An integrated intake team will co-ordinate access to services to support improved safety and decision-making based on a holistic picture of the victim’s situation.

To be developed in consultation with key stakeholders, these hubs are expected to be established in 2020.

Western Australia has the second highest rate of reported physical and sexual violence perpetrated against women and this violence is most often perpetrated by partners, ex partners or a family member. The State’s Family and Domestic Violence Response Teams triaged around 50,000 incidents last year.

The McGowan Government’s Stopping Family and Domestic Violence Policy is focused on reducing the impact of domestic violence through a comprehensive package of initiatives that address victim safety, perpetrator accountability, a more responsive justice system and prevention and early intervention.

Delivering on two election commitments, victim safety will be strengthened with a $15.5 million investment towards an electronic monitoring trial for high-risk domestic violence offenders who have breached violence restraining orders; and $2.1 million of funding for the Western Australia Police Force to develop a family violence Code of Practice and training to frontline police officers.

A dedicated Family and Domestic Violence Monitoring Unit will be established in partnership with the Department of Justice and WA Police Force. This will provide 24-hour electronic monitoring of family violence offenders who have breached violence restraining orders in the community, including an additional 10 police officers for the police contribution to the unit.

The Code of Practice will support the WA Police Force to investigate family and domestic violence incidents and include specific policies for the investigation of offence reports involving indigenous victims.

Continued funding has also been allocated to the RSPCA for the Pets in Crisis program and the Kimberley Family Violence Service.

“Reducing the State’s unacceptable high rates of domestic violence is a key priority evidenced by the significant investment by the State – this Government has committed more than $53 million in new funding since 2017,” said Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Simone McGurk.

“Western Australia has high rates of domestic violence and the McGowan Government is determined to work with the community sector to address this problem.

“Family and domestic violence has a profound and long-term impact on the health and wellbeing of women and their children, families and throughout our community.

“This new funding will contribute to our priority of a safer community by establishing new services, delivering new training, and trialling the monitoring of perpetrators.

“The two new hubs are about meeting a critical need for victims to get the help they need sooner and without the repeated trauma of re-telling their stories. They are also about supporting evidence-based ways of working so that Western Australian community based services are delivering effective and collaborative support to those most in need.”

Police Minister Michelle Roberts said, “Family violence is a crime. Assault is assault, whether it is perpetrated by a stranger or a family member.

“By having a dedicated monitoring unit, I hope victims will be empowered and have the confidence to come forward and report family violence matters to police so that offenders can be brought to account.”

The McGowan Government has today released a discussion paper to introduce safe access zones around premises that provide abortion services in Western Australia.

The paper entitled ‘Safe access zones – Proposal for reform in Western Australia’ explores how an appropriate legislative framework might operate to ensure patients can access health services, including abortion clinics, without fear of intimidation or harassment.

Safe access zones are designed to address concerns regarding the safety and wellbeing of patients and staff that work at, or are seeking access to, legal health services including abortion services.

The public consultation is designed to seek feedback on how best to protect patients when accessing these services. It is not the purpose to review or debate the arguments for or against abortion in WA.

The start of the consultation period follows last week’s High Court decision confirming the constitutional validity of legislation establishing safe access zones in Victoria and Tasmania.

Safe access zones already exist in most other Australian States.

Feedback can be submitted via written and online submissions or by completing an online survey.

The discussion paper, the online survey and more information surrounding the consultation process can be found here.

The closing date for submissions is May 31, 2019.

“There have been ongoing instances of individuals being confronted by protestors when accessing abortion services in Western Australia. These protests cause anxiety and distress for patients, as well as staff, which is why the McGowan Government is working to introduce safe access zones,” said Health Minister Roger Cook.

“The McGowan Government believes all patients in Western Australia have a right to safety, privacy and respect when accessing health care. This reform will mean women in WA can attend abortion clinics for a legal medical procedure without having to endure protestors hurling abuse.

“This discussion paper is an opportunity for the community to provide input into the design of the legislation, so that we can determine how best these safe access zones can be introduced in WA.”

Women’s Interests Minister Simone McGurk said, “I want women to have access to good health care and this includes responsible family planning.

“There is a need for Government intervention to better regulate and manage protestors around abortion clinics to ensure women have access to legal medical procedures without intimidation or harassment.

“The introduction of safe access zones will maintain the rights of women to privacy and safety during what is likely a very difficult time.

“I encourage the Western Australian public to have their say on how they think these zones can best be implemented and how we can help ensure women accessing legal medical procedures can do so without further distress.”

New tenancy laws to assist Western Australian renters affected by family and domestic violence are now in force.

The new laws allow a tenant to end their tenancy with as little as seven days’ notice if they or their dependants are impacted by family and domestic violence, even if the perpetrator is not named on the lease. There is no need to go to court and a new Consumer Protection form can be used as evidence to accompany a termination notice.

Alternatively, if a perpetrator is named on a lease a tenant can make an application to the courts to have them removed from the tenancy agreement which was not possible previously.

Other key changes will allow tenants affected by family and domestic violence to:

• Make a rental home safer through lock changes or security upgrades;
• Sort out disputes about property damage, unpaid rent or bonds; and
• Seek removal from, or avoid being listed on, a tenancy database if the listing was because of domestic violence.

More information is available here.

“Family and domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness across Australia and here, in WA, over 40 per cent of people accessing homelessness services are doing so because of family and domestic violence,” said Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Simone McGurk.

“The McGowan Government believes everyone has a right to feel safe in their home and not be penalised for trying to remove themselves from a potentially life-threatening situation.

“Previously a tenant moving to safer accommodation would have to keep paying rent on a previous rental home until the lease ended or until replacement tenants could be found, which could be months. This created a significant financial burden which could impact a woman’s decision to leave or cause them to return to an unsafe living environment.

“We know there are tenants waiting to use the new laws to leave a tenancy for family and domestic violence reasons, and they should now contact Consumer Protection or a local community legal service for help to utilise these provisions.”

Commerce Minister John Quigley said, “By creating new options for tenants affected by family and domestic violence, the McGowan Government is a part of the solution to the problem.

“We are enabling property managers and landlords to do the right thing and, in the process, hope there will be a reduction in damage to rental homes and less abandonments of premises because the changes allow either party to remain on a lease.

“A lot of work has been undertaken to ensure these laws can be applied practically, including consultation with the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia who are supportive of the introduction of these new laws and are assisting Consumer Protection to educate property professionals and landlords.”