Concerns over closing of refuge

Wednesday, September 30, 1992 - 10:00

Concerns over closing of refuge

By Claudine Holt

SYDNEY — On September 18, the largest women's refuge in NSW closed its doors. The Marion Centre — for women and children escaping from violent relationships — was closed by the management of the St Vincent de Paul Society in order to carry out renovations and restructuring.

Siobhan Beamish, a former social worker with the centre, expressed concern that there was more to the closure than refurbishment.

Eight months earlier, the society had been in an industrial dispute with its workers over a new award and pay arrangements. This was unresolved at the time of closing, and none of the workers have been guaranteed their jobs in January, when the centre is scheduled to reopen.

While St Vincent de Paul has stated that all the women and children sheltered in the centre have been relocated, the closure affects many more women and families. Every year, 23,000 women are turned away from NSW refuges that are full.

Sheilah Bartlett, a social worker and union representative at the refuge, told Green Left Weekly, "It's not simply the women who were housed that I have concern for, but women who have been there before and have used the Marion Centre if they had problems or they needed advice. They won't be able to get it any more."

The Australian Social Welfare Union, representing the workers, has proposed that the centre operate while the renovations take place, but the management has expressed no interest in this proposal.

Beamish highlighted the lack of accountability of private charities to their public funding bodies. She was "worried about the effects this is going to have on social welfare in NSW. Because if charities are taking over more of welfare bodies, what does it mean if they can just close refuges and whatever organisations they may be running, without consulting the funding body, and without offering an alternative service?"

Letters of concern can be sent to the Department of Community Services and the state president of the St Vincent de Paul Society. Copies sent to Green Left will be forwarded to the former workers.