Labor, Mandurah MP David Templeman deliver on Pat Thomas House pledge

Delivering the one-off grant of $100,000 with Mandurah MP David Templeman, Ms McGurk said the money would help ensure women and children in the region would be kept safe.

The funding was for upgrading the refuge’s outdoor area so it is suitable for children to play in, as well as repair work, concrete flooring, toilet facilities and general upgrades.

Ms McGurk paid tribute to the staff and volunteers at Pat Thomas House.

“You walk alongside those families, those women, and their kids who have experienced violence to say, we’ll support you now and we’ll show you a future where you can feel safe, where you can feel strong,” she said.

“You can show your kids that there’s another way of relating, of having a family and another way of being strong and healthy.”

Ms McGurk said unpublished statistics revealed more than 2500 domestic cases in the Peel region in the last year.

“They’re not just minor reports, they’ve been escalated to be managed by Child Protection, the community sector and the police.

“All of this trauma and all of those issues in families mean we have to get in earlier and try to work with those families and build them up and send the public a message that help is there and domestic violence is not acceptable.”

Mr Templeman welcomed the funding and said domestic violence was destroying families and children.

“The tragic facts are that this region unfortunately has some of the worst statistics in Australia on domestic violence,” he said.

“But this community has been a great supporter of Pat Thomas House over the years and continues to be, whether it’s fundraising, whether it’s support with resources or donations.

“The community has actually responded and continues to support what you do here.”

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