NEW PROGRAM SUPPORTING PILBARA FAMILIES FACING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAUNCHED
Names from left: Kariyarra Elder Alfred Barker Julyardi Aboriginal Corporation, Minister Sabine Winton, Natasha Bargeus, MacKillop Family Services’ General Manager, Kariyarra Elder Raylene Button, Julyardi Aboriginal Corporation, and Jessica Farber-McKie, Project Coordinator, MacKillop Family Services.
BY ASAD KHAN AND TANGIORA HINAKI
A new initiative aimed at supporting Pilbara families experiencing family and domestic violence was officially launched on December 4 by Minister Sabine Winton.
The program, Kanyjaru Ngarnarna Wapa, is a partnership between MacKillop Family Services and the Julyardi Aboriginal Corporation, created under the state government’s Safe at Home program.
The initiative provides an innovative approach to addressing domestic violence by allowing women and children to remain safely in their homes where possible, reducing the need for crisis accommodation.
It also focuses on rehabilitation and accountability for perpetrators of violence, ensuring a holistic response that supports all family members.
Trina Stoddart, CEO of Julyardi Aboriginal Corporation, highlighted the program’s unique approach to addressing domestic violence within the Pilbara region.
“To support families experiencing family domestic violence to create safety in their own homes. Reducing the need for crisis accommodation, and, you know, kind of an upheaval in their lives and supporting them to keep a safe and stable home for them and their families working with partnering organizations to ensure that all members including perpetrators are supported to support the family to come together again, which is really important to the elders,”
The program reflects a culturally sensitive and community-led response to domestic violence, aligning with traditional values of family unity and healing.
By involving elders and local organizations, Kanyjaru Ngarnarna Wapa promotes stability and safety while empowering families to rebuild their lives together.
Minister Winton praised the initiative as a critical step in addressing domestic violence in regional and remote areas.
“This program not only provides immediate safety for women and children but also offers long-term solutions through community collaboration and support for rehabilitation,” she said.
Safe at Home is part of the Western Australian government’s broader efforts to reduce domestic violence and support affected families.
Programs like Kanyjaru Ngarnarna Wapa underscore the importance of localized and culturally appropriate solutions in creating safe and stable environments for families.
For more information about the program or support services available in the Pilbara region, visit Julyardi Aboriginal Corporation or MacKillop Family Services' websites.
Listen to Ngaarda Media’s Tangiora Hinaki speak with Trina Stoddart, CEO of Julyardi Aboriginal Corporation: