Broome opens new refuge to help women and children escaping violence
A new family and domestic violence refuge has opened in Broome, adding six supported places and culturally safe care for women and children in the Kimberley.
PEOPLE & COMMUNITY
A new family and domestic violence refuge has opened in Broome, adding six supported accommodation places for women and children and deepening the Western Australian government’s response in the Kimberley. The facility, named Jalbingan, meaning “safe family camp” in Yawuru, is being positioned as both crisis accommodation and a place of healing for victim-survivors rebuilding their lives.
The Cook Labor Government says the refuge was delivered through a $4.2 million upgrade and refurbishment of an existing state-owned property, with the service to be operated by MercyCare. According to the government, the new accommodation is designed to provide culturally safe, trauma-informed support and to ease pressure on the existing Broome Women’s Refuge.
Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Minister Jessica Stojkovski said the opening of Jalbingan was an important step in strengthening Broome’s response to family and domestic violence. She said the refuge was “more than a place to stay” and described it as “a place of safety, healing and hope” for women and children who need dignity, security and support after trauma.
“The Cook Labor Government is committed to ensuring women and children experiencing family and domestic violence can access safe, culturally responsive support, no matter where they live,” Stojkovski said. She added that the investment forms part of a wider effort to prevent family and domestic violence across Western Australia and support victim-survivors to live free from violence.
Kimberley MLA Divina D’Anna said the new refuge would make a practical difference for local families needing safety closer to home. “Every woman and child deserves to feel safe,” she said, calling Jalbingan a culturally safe place where victim-survivors can begin to heal and rebuild their lives.
Kimberley MLA Divina D’Anna said the new refuge would make a practical difference for local families needing safety closer to home. “Every woman and child deserves to feel safe,” she said, calling Jalbingan a culturally safe place where victim-survivors can begin to heal and rebuild their lives.
MercyCare general manager of youth, wellbeing and accommodation Suzanne Caren said demand for family and domestic violence support in Broome and the wider Kimberley continued to grow. She said many families need intensive, wraparound support after violence and that this demand “consistently exceeds available services,” adding that Jalbingan would provide a vital safe haven in one of Western Australia’s most remote regions.
The new refuge sits alongside other services now operating in Broome, including the Broome FDV One Stop Hub, known as Bibimbiya Jan-ga Buru, which offers advocacy, counselling, legal help and support for children. The hub has been delivered by Men's Outreach Service Aboriginal Corporation, operating as Family Outreach Service, since November 2024 and has been operating from dedicated premises since June 2025.The government also said a Safe at Home program was launched in Broome last month, helping victim-survivors stay safely in their own home or another home of their choice where possible. It said the Broome Family and Domestic Violence Response Team has been operating seven days a week since 2025.
Since 2017, the state says it has invested more than $817.5 million in family and domestic violence response and has delivered 119 refuge units, with 95 more in the pipeline. The Broome opening is being presented as part of that broader expansion, aimed at increasing safe accommodation and culturally responsive support across regional WA.
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