WA government commits $109.9 million for preventing family and domestic violence

The WA government has announced a $109.9 million package to address family and domestic violence (FDV) across the state, which the premier says will make a "tangible difference" on people's lives.

A large part of that money would be spent on strengthening seven-day-a-week frontline teams tasked with making early intervention in families experiencing violence in the household.

More money will be put into expanding the existing Safe at Home program which aims to keep victim-survivors living safely in their homes once perpetrators are removed.

Coercive-control training will also be rolled out to first responders.

"This is across the spectrum, right from primary prevention, wrap-around services, crisis accommodation and through to transitional accommodation," Minister for the Prevention of FDV Jessica Stojkovski said.

Alpha-male rhetoric warning

Minister Stojkovski said it was also important for the community to have conversations about respectful behaviour. 

"We ask men and boys to stand up for us, walk with us and actually make those behaviour changes," she said. 

"We all know good men and boys ... we want to make sure that our young boys grow into good men." 

Mr Cook said there were barriers to progress, citing threats on social media.

"The rise of misogynistic, alpha-male rhetoric reaching young people through social media is a major threat," he said. 

"The number of young men subscribing to these regressive and anti-women ideologies are rising.

"That's why it's so important that more men get involved in the conversation so that these young people have positive role models."

Refuge sites boosted

On Sunday, the government announced $14.8 million would be spent on expanding family violence refuge centres, with one provider saying it would help support women facing "life or death". 

The funds will help build family and domestic violence accommodation in Midland, Broome and Albany.

In Perth, a new $3.7 million refuge for Midland will offer five crisis accommodation units supporting women and children.

The refuge will be delivered by not-for-profit Indigo Junction, which provides specialist services in areas of homelessness, housing crisis or other hardship.

"I think probably in the last year we've turned away 1,500 requests for accommodation for women in crisis that need a safe place to be," Indigo Junction's CEO Sharon Gough said.

The funding will support single women, an area of high demand for the service, as well as small families.

"It can be a matter of life and death — it is essential," she said.

In the state's far north, Broome received $4.2 million to upgrade Catherine House into an FDV refuge, supporting an extra six places for women and their children.

The state government said the facility will ease pressure on the existing refuge until longer-term infrastructure is developed.

In the state's Great Southern, Southern Aboriginal Corporation has received $6.9 million to establish six extra self-contained units — completing a 12-unit facility.

The Albany site will be run by Anglicare and is anticipated to support up to 166 women and children with accommodation.

Last week, the Goldfields also received a boost, with $2.14 million to refurbish 16 units to become transitional accommodation.