People at risk of family violence in the Central Highlands now have easier access to support services with the opening of Victoria’s sixth Orange Door.
Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence, Gabrielle Williams said the Orange Door Network in the Central Highlands covered the areas of Ballarat, Ararat, Golden Plains, Pyrenees, Moorabool and Hepburn.
“The Orange Door in Central Highlands will deliver crucial support for adults, young people and children in need, including risk assessment, safety planning and crisis assistance, as well as crucial links to services for ongoing support, bringing together workers from specialist family violence, child and family, Aboriginal and men’s services,” Ms Williams said.
“It is the latest development in the Government’s unprecedented family violence reform work, with the Orange Door Network to eventually service all 17 Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) regions by 2022,” she said.
“Five Orange Doors have already opened across the state in Barwon, Inner Gippsland, North East Melbourne, Bayside Peninsula and Mallee, with Loddon and Goulburn to commence service in the coming months.”
Ms Williams said Victoria was now two-thirds of the way through completing all 227 recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence.
“In Central Highlands, the Orange Door is a strong collaboration between Child and Family Services Ballarat, Berry St (Western Region) and Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative (BADAC) and the Victorian Government, who have been working together to prepare for commencement for more than 12 months,” she said.
Ms Williams said the project included a primary site in Ballarat, with an access point planned for Moorabool Shire and outposted services in the Rural City of Ararat and Hepburn Shire for people seeking face-to-face support.
