The Hon. AILEEN MacDONALD (14:03): I speak to the amazing work of the Women's Shelter Armidale and its contribution to dealing with domestic and family violence. As members know, prior to joining the Parliament I was a community corrections officer. I worked with perpetrators of domestic violence on a daily basis. That role meant I got to read police reports, facts and other information. I can confidently say they painted a very different picture to the romantic view we have of relationships. It is not the fairytale ending "and they lived happily ever after" we all believed as children. It is the reason why in 2014 I volunteered to be a member of the Women's Shelter Armidale committee and was subsequently elected treasurer. I felt passionate about helping those whose lives had been damaged and who had experienced trauma in a way that no-one should ever have to.

It is difficult to see family breakdowns in any circumstance, but it is even more tragic when family and domestic violence is involved. Furthermore, in regional centres, often there is nowhere to hide. Having a women's shelter to provide wraparound service support is integral to getting women's lives back on track. Providing care and support for innocent young children is of the utmost importance. I was treasurer of the shelter for about four years, so I was close to its inner workings. It made my day as a community corrections officer more haunting because it meant I came face to face with perpetrators and then victim-survivors. We had tools like the practice guide to intervention to encourage behaviour change, which were effective. But then I would attend a board meeting and be confronted with the depressing reality that the world can be a cruel place with nowhere to escape when one is locked in an abusive relationship.

I make the point that I was in an unenviable dual role, seeing the trauma from both sides. It was hard for me to continue without it getting to me on a personal level. I discontinued my role on the board because it was all too much. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, where the story becomes positive. In my new role as an MLC, I paid a visit to the Women's Shelter Armidale. I was delighted to see the dream came to fruition. They had Core and Cluster units built to transition women, children and pets to a new place where they could rebuild their lives in a personal space with security to heal with the assistance of specialist services. It is a shame that services like those are needed, but until domestic violence is eliminated in our society, they are crucial and appreciated.