Prime Minister Scott Morrison has invited the woman behind a push to create a women's trauma recovery centre in the Illawarra, to a meeting in Canberra.
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Illawarra Women's Health Centre general manager Sally Stevenson isn't getting carried away but sees Wednesday's meeting as a positive signal that the government is interested in talking about Australia's first domestic violence trauma recovery centre being established in the Illawarra.
Ms Stevenson and federal Labor MPs Stephen Jones and Sharon Bird have been invited by the PM to meet with his staff to discuss the Illawarra Women's Health Centre and women's trauma recovery centre proposal.
"We take it as a positive signal that the government recognises that this model of care is really important to women who have experienced domestic and family violence," she said.
"It is definitely a positive thing.
"We expect to discuss what the model of care represents, why we've designed it like this, and that's primarily because we've witnessed women who have experienced domestic and family violence and worked with professional care providers.
"So, we will present them a really comprehensive evidence-based proposal, to discuss with them the advantages of that model and how we might work together to have it funded and delivered in the Illawarra and then how we can demonstrate its impact.
"We are expecting a very positive conversation about what the next step forward will be to make this a reality."
Ms Stevenson expects the business case for the women's trauma recovery centre to be completed soon and handed over to NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard.
"We did a summary of that business case and submitted that to the federal Department of Social Services and we are looking at funding for the pilot model of this new care proposal for five years for $25 million," she said.
'And, because the women's trauma recovery centre was a recommendation out of the federal inquiry, we are expecting it to be included in the next national plan of violence against women, which will be significant.
"It will speak to how the women's recovery centre really has national significance and implications.
"If we can show that it will be successful in the Illawarra, and we absolutely expect that it will be, then the opportunity to role out this new model of care out across Australia will be very compelling indeed."
The bid to establish a women's trauma recovery centre in the region has been driven by the Illawarra Women's Health Centre but Ms Stevenson was adamant it was led by community support.
"We've gotten to this point because we've had such exceptional support throughout the Illawarra."
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Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
