The City of Casey has welcomed the State Government's announcement of a new Orange Door facility and access points in Melbourne's south east, to make family violence support easier to access for these growing local communities
The new primary Orange Door site will be located in Dandenong and plans are underway for key access points in Casey and Cardinia, where growing communities are seeing increased demand for support.
City of Casey Chair of Administrators Noelene Duff PSM said the investment in supporting families in Melbourne's south east is an important step forward.
"The City of Casey continues to record the highest number of family violence reports of any local government area in Victoria. The major access point planned for Casey will be a much-needed addition to the Orange Door network and we look forward to this and proposed outposted services for the area.
"Women with children across our region are presenting to local support agencies in greater numbers than ever before. It is both the number of cases, and the severity of incidents that are concerning those on the front-line," Ms Duff said.
In addition to the increased numbers of family violence incidents recorded during COVID-19 restrictions, family violence workers saw a further spike in numbers during the Christmas/New Year period.
"In high-growth areas such as Casey, it is vital local support agencies are able to meet the demand. The new Orange Door streamlines the intake and assessment for people experiencing family violence, with immediate support and referrals in one place," Ms Duff added.
"These referrals link to local agencies, such as UnitingCare, Wayss, Anglicare and others, who are then engaged to provide a raft of crisis support services where they are needed."
Wayys CEO Liz Thomas commented, "The establishment of the Orange Door network for Melbourne's south has involved a significant collective effort across all areas working in family violence.
In Casey alone, more than 4,000 family violence reports were referred to Wayss last year, double that of neighbouring areas. We know demand for support services is increasing and we will continue in working with our partners to deliver the services needed by the most vulnerable in our community."
Planning is well underway for the South Melbourne Orange Door Hub, with a target date for opening in October 2021.
