'The missing piece': first domestic violence refuge in Port Stephens opens

Port Stephens' first dedicated refuge for women and children escaping domestic and family violence has officially opened in Raymond Terrace, with the local MP calling it "the missing piece" the community had long needed.

The six-unit facility is a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom self-contained homes built around a central "core" support building.

It is designed to house more than a dozen women and children at a time, with wraparound access to counselling, legal help, financial support and childcare on site.

Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Services (PSFaNS) assistant manager Ann Fletcher said the largest cohort they see, every single year, was women aged 25 to 45 with children in their care who've become homeless because of domestic violence.

"Every year, that is our highest number of people who present to us for support," she said.

"Also with the families we work with, it's never any less than 350 accompanying children a year, just in our little area.

"They say goodbye to a stable home for a period of their life.

"Some of the kids we see have never had a stable home, never.

"Their parents have been transient and homeless for their entire life. They were brought home from hospital to a tent or a motel."

The refuge has been named in honour of Colleen Perry, a respected Aboriginal grandmother remembered by her family simply as "Nan", who spent decades fostering and caring for children in the Hunter Region.

Her grandson told the opening his grandmother's home had operated as an informal refuge long before this one existed, at times housing up to 10 children who weren't her own.

"Her house was just always open ... she never turned away anyone," he said, adding that when his grandmother's children later tried to count the number of foster and extended family children who passed through her home over the years, the tally ran into the hundreds.

Port Stephens MP Kate Washington said the opening was the result of sustained advocacy by local women and PSFaNS, who had been pushing for a dedicated local refuge "for a long time".

"There is no women's shelter in all of Port Stephens it is literally the missing piece that everyone has been advocating for," she said.

She recalled the need had once been so acute that police had built their own informal safe house near the police station, with officers doing the plumbing and electrical work themselves to give women somewhere safe to go.

"[Local police] rolled their sleeves up and designed their own bolt hole across the road from the station, because they had nowhere for women to escape safely," Ms Washington said.

NSW Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said the refuge was part of the NSW government's Core and Cluster program, which is delivering 49 new refuges across the state, 39 of them in regional areas, at a cost of $7.2 million for the Port Stephens facility.

She said the self-contained units were designed to preserve women's dignity and independence while keeping families together.

Manager of PSFaNS Sue Pollock said for too many years, women and children have not been able to access a safe and secure place to flee violence.

"Many women are forced to stay, or return, to violent relationships because they do not have anywhere to go," she said.

"This refuge will ensure we can provide women and children with safety as they take their next steps to rebuild, recover and heal.

"We are proud to announce Port Stephen's first refuge: Aunty Colleen's Place.

"Aunty Colleen, a proud Worimi woman, cared deeply for the community, particularly through supporting the next generation.

"She was proud of her culture, a steadfast advocate for justice, and was passionate about passing on her knowledge and values.

"Aunty Colleen's Place will be a place of safety, belonging, and comfort for women and children to catch their breath and to heal."

• If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or family violence, contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.