Long-promised Broome One Stop Domestic Violence Hub officially opens

West Australian06-06-2025

The hub, named Bibimbiya Jan-ga Buru, meaning women and children's healing place in Yawuru language, is located at 19 Barker Street and provides a one stop entry point for a range of specialist supports for people experiencing family and domestic violence, including advocacy, counselling, legal assistance, and support for children.
Service delivery is led by Men's Outreach Service Aboriginal Corporation, operating as Family Outreach Service, in partnership with Anglicare WA and service alliance members Nirrumbuk Aboriginal Corporation, Jalygurr Guwan Aboriginal Corporation, Broome CIRCLE and Legal Aid WA.
The $23 million project also provides family and domestic violence outreach services to Derby and Bidyadanga.
Ms Stojkovski said domestic violence has a devastating impact on families and breaking the cycle requires targeted services in primary prevention and early intervention like which is offered at the hub.
'The securing of a suitable property to house the Broome Family and Domestic Violence One Stop Hub is a significant milestone and will ensure victim-survivors can access a range of supports and get the assistance that's right for them, including cultural support and healing services, all from the single location,' she said.
'By co-locating key support with other community services, a 'soft' entry point is created, reducing stigma attached to seeking assistance.'
It comes as the Kimberley continues to record the highest rates of domestic violence in the State, with 11,912 offences per 100,000 people in 2023-24, more than 15 times the Perth metropolitan area rate of 756 per 100,000 people.
Despite this, the Broome location is some 18-months behind its originally announced opening date of late 2023 and was the last DV hub to start delivering interim services in November 2024.
It is the third hub to open its dedicated facility in WA behind Kalgoorlie and Mirrabooka, which were officially launched in December 2020 and Perth in October 2024 after being announced in April 2024.
An Armadale hub, announced at the same time as the Broome hub in 2022, started delivering interim services in September 2023 and is expected to transfer into full service delivery in 2025.
Ms Stojkovski said the delay in finding a location for the Broome Hub was due to logistical challenges and the need to find a culturally appropriate site.
'It was logistics more than anything else, it took a long time to find a culturally appropriate place,' she said.
Asked whether there was potential for another hub in Derby near where a woman was allegedly murdered by a man known to her in April, Ms Stojkovski said a lack of funding remained a barrier.
'If there was no restriction on money, we would have a hub everywhere but that's not feasible in a State such as WA,' she said.
MOSAC chief executive Peter Mitchell said it had been a balancing act between finding an appropriate location and delivering the service in a timely manner.
'Going back to the whole issue of delay . . . we needed to get this right and not offer a half-baked option,' he said.
'The balance has been to make sure that we've got all the correct staff and all the resources we need before pushing it out to the general public while also recognising there are women still being harmed and you can't just close the door. So it's been a balancing act.'
He also recognised funding was an issue, but said more services were needed to tackle domestic violence in remote areas.
'Let's acknowledge that there aren't enough services. The community would like more services, particularly outside of the Broome,' Mr Mitchell said.
'This is a great facility and we do have outreach services in Derby and Bidyadanga, but there's so many other places that also require that.'
Acknowledging the delay, Kimberley MLA Divina D'Anna said there was no one solution in tackling domestic violence.
'I do understand that it is a long time coming, and I'd also like to put on record that this is not the silver bullet,' she said.
'There are services in Broome and in outreach . . . in Kununurra and Derby. So there are services. Everyone's playing their part to try and get ahead of this.'
It comes as a landmark study into men and domestic violence from the Australian Institute of Family Studies was released on June 3.
The study found 35 per cent of men aged 18-65 years have used intimate partner violence in their lifetime, with an estimated 120,000 men nationally each year starting to use it for the first time.
It also found men who reported high levels of social support 'all of the time' were 26 per cent less likely to report using intimate partner violence.
Federal Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said early intervention was key to preventing domestic violence.
'We want to stop intimate partner violence before it starts. To do so, we need to do more than respond to it, we need to understand it,' she said.
'That's why this data from Ten to Men is so important. By providing an understanding of what may lead to men using violence, the study gives us a better chance of identifying those at risk of offending and intervening to ensure the healthy development of young men and boys.'

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Vital step toward healing as ancestors returned home

The Advertiser

12-06-2025

The Advertiser

Vital step toward healing as ancestors returned home

The remains of 10 Indigenous Australian ancestors that were kept in Japanese institutional collections have been returned to their traditional custodians. The ceremony in Tokyo marks the first time ancestors have been repatriated to Australia from Japan. The remains of seven ancestors were returned from the University of Tokyo, including a Kaurna person from South Australia. "For many years the ancestral remains of Kaurna old people were collected by museums and universities without consent, which caused great sadness and anger, and these feelings have been carried for generations," Kaurna representative Mitzi Nam said. "The Traditional Custodians have been tirelessly working to return the Kaurna old people to Country, so they can rest, and while past wrongs cannot be forgotten, pathways to healing can start for all generations." The University of Kyoto returned two ancestors to representatives from communities in Western Australia, including the Bardi and Jawi communities and the Yawuru community. The National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo returned one ancestor to Australia. Bardi and Jawi representative Bolo Angus, from WA's Dampier Peninsula said the return of ancestors is an acknowledgement of past wrongs and showing respect for First Nations cultures. "Repatriation is a vital step toward healing the deep wounds caused by the forced removal of our ancestors from their resting place," he said. "For our community, it is not just about bringing bones home - it is about restoring dignity, honouring our old people, and reconnecting spirit to Country. "This healing is not only for us, the living, but for the spirit of the ancestors who have waited so long to come home." Neil McKenzie, a Yawuru representative from Broome, said he hopes the repatriation is a step towards reconciliation. "The return of our Yawuru ancestor acknowledges the truth of Yawuru history and the treatment of our ancestors who were removed from Country without consent," he said. "We hold genuine hope that this process of truth telling will enable us to gain respectful recognition, so that we can move forward in a truly reconciled manner, leading to collective healing and empowerment." In April, 36 Queensland ancestors were repatriated from the National History Museum in London, bringing the total of repatriated ancestors from the United Kingdom to more than 1300. More than 1700 ancestors have been returned from overseas collections to Australia with the help of the federal government. Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said the government will continue to advocate for the return of ancestors to their Country and people. "The return of these ancestors to Country, the first such repatriation from Japan, reinforces the continuing shift by collecting institutions internationally to righting some of the past injustices carried out against First Nations people," she said. The remains of 10 Indigenous Australian ancestors that were kept in Japanese institutional collections have been returned to their traditional custodians. The ceremony in Tokyo marks the first time ancestors have been repatriated to Australia from Japan. The remains of seven ancestors were returned from the University of Tokyo, including a Kaurna person from South Australia. "For many years the ancestral remains of Kaurna old people were collected by museums and universities without consent, which caused great sadness and anger, and these feelings have been carried for generations," Kaurna representative Mitzi Nam said. "The Traditional Custodians have been tirelessly working to return the Kaurna old people to Country, so they can rest, and while past wrongs cannot be forgotten, pathways to healing can start for all generations." The University of Kyoto returned two ancestors to representatives from communities in Western Australia, including the Bardi and Jawi communities and the Yawuru community. The National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo returned one ancestor to Australia. Bardi and Jawi representative Bolo Angus, from WA's Dampier Peninsula said the return of ancestors is an acknowledgement of past wrongs and showing respect for First Nations cultures. "Repatriation is a vital step toward healing the deep wounds caused by the forced removal of our ancestors from their resting place," he said. "For our community, it is not just about bringing bones home - it is about restoring dignity, honouring our old people, and reconnecting spirit to Country. "This healing is not only for us, the living, but for the spirit of the ancestors who have waited so long to come home." Neil McKenzie, a Yawuru representative from Broome, said he hopes the repatriation is a step towards reconciliation. "The return of our Yawuru ancestor acknowledges the truth of Yawuru history and the treatment of our ancestors who were removed from Country without consent," he said. "We hold genuine hope that this process of truth telling will enable us to gain respectful recognition, so that we can move forward in a truly reconciled manner, leading to collective healing and empowerment." In April, 36 Queensland ancestors were repatriated from the National History Museum in London, bringing the total of repatriated ancestors from the United Kingdom to more than 1300. More than 1700 ancestors have been returned from overseas collections to Australia with the help of the federal government. Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said the government will continue to advocate for the return of ancestors to their Country and people. "The return of these ancestors to Country, the first such repatriation from Japan, reinforces the continuing shift by collecting institutions internationally to righting some of the past injustices carried out against First Nations people," she said. The remains of 10 Indigenous Australian ancestors that were kept in Japanese institutional collections have been returned to their traditional custodians. The ceremony in Tokyo marks the first time ancestors have been repatriated to Australia from Japan. The remains of seven ancestors were returned from the University of Tokyo, including a Kaurna person from South Australia. "For many years the ancestral remains of Kaurna old people were collected by museums and universities without consent, which caused great sadness and anger, and these feelings have been carried for generations," Kaurna representative Mitzi Nam said. "The Traditional Custodians have been tirelessly working to return the Kaurna old people to Country, so they can rest, and while past wrongs cannot be forgotten, pathways to healing can start for all generations." The University of Kyoto returned two ancestors to representatives from communities in Western Australia, including the Bardi and Jawi communities and the Yawuru community. The National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo returned one ancestor to Australia. Bardi and Jawi representative Bolo Angus, from WA's Dampier Peninsula said the return of ancestors is an acknowledgement of past wrongs and showing respect for First Nations cultures. "Repatriation is a vital step toward healing the deep wounds caused by the forced removal of our ancestors from their resting place," he said. "For our community, it is not just about bringing bones home - it is about restoring dignity, honouring our old people, and reconnecting spirit to Country. "This healing is not only for us, the living, but for the spirit of the ancestors who have waited so long to come home." Neil McKenzie, a Yawuru representative from Broome, said he hopes the repatriation is a step towards reconciliation. "The return of our Yawuru ancestor acknowledges the truth of Yawuru history and the treatment of our ancestors who were removed from Country without consent," he said. "We hold genuine hope that this process of truth telling will enable us to gain respectful recognition, so that we can move forward in a truly reconciled manner, leading to collective healing and empowerment." In April, 36 Queensland ancestors were repatriated from the National History Museum in London, bringing the total of repatriated ancestors from the United Kingdom to more than 1300. More than 1700 ancestors have been returned from overseas collections to Australia with the help of the federal government. Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said the government will continue to advocate for the return of ancestors to their Country and people. "The return of these ancestors to Country, the first such repatriation from Japan, reinforces the continuing shift by collecting institutions internationally to righting some of the past injustices carried out against First Nations people," she said. The remains of 10 Indigenous Australian ancestors that were kept in Japanese institutional collections have been returned to their traditional custodians. The ceremony in Tokyo marks the first time ancestors have been repatriated to Australia from Japan. The remains of seven ancestors were returned from the University of Tokyo, including a Kaurna person from South Australia. "For many years the ancestral remains of Kaurna old people were collected by museums and universities without consent, which caused great sadness and anger, and these feelings have been carried for generations," Kaurna representative Mitzi Nam said. "The Traditional Custodians have been tirelessly working to return the Kaurna old people to Country, so they can rest, and while past wrongs cannot be forgotten, pathways to healing can start for all generations." The University of Kyoto returned two ancestors to representatives from communities in Western Australia, including the Bardi and Jawi communities and the Yawuru community. The National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo returned one ancestor to Australia. Bardi and Jawi representative Bolo Angus, from WA's Dampier Peninsula said the return of ancestors is an acknowledgement of past wrongs and showing respect for First Nations cultures. "Repatriation is a vital step toward healing the deep wounds caused by the forced removal of our ancestors from their resting place," he said. "For our community, it is not just about bringing bones home - it is about restoring dignity, honouring our old people, and reconnecting spirit to Country. "This healing is not only for us, the living, but for the spirit of the ancestors who have waited so long to come home." Neil McKenzie, a Yawuru representative from Broome, said he hopes the repatriation is a step towards reconciliation. "The return of our Yawuru ancestor acknowledges the truth of Yawuru history and the treatment of our ancestors who were removed from Country without consent," he said. "We hold genuine hope that this process of truth telling will enable us to gain respectful recognition, so that we can move forward in a truly reconciled manner, leading to collective healing and empowerment." In April, 36 Queensland ancestors were repatriated from the National History Museum in London, bringing the total of repatriated ancestors from the United Kingdom to more than 1300. More than 1700 ancestors have been returned from overseas collections to Australia with the help of the federal government. Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said the government will continue to advocate for the return of ancestors to their Country and people. "The return of these ancestors to Country, the first such repatriation from Japan, reinforces the continuing shift by collecting institutions internationally to righting some of the past injustices carried out against First Nations people," she said.