A family violence response hub will be established in Wangaratta, with possible access points in other areas.
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The Orange Door network, spurred by the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence, is expanding to the Ovens-Murray.
Led by Centre Against Violence, the hub will involve Gateway Health, Upper Murray Family Care, the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency and Mungabareena.
CAV chief executive Kerry Burns said bringing together practitioners, including those from Gateway Health's men's behaviour change program, would strengthen the response to family violence.
"When we're sitting together in the hub, we'll have the support of a multi-disciplinary response to any client seeking services," she said.
"A victim-survivor might have children and need help with where to go, or it could be a person worried about their relationship.
"The hub will also have some staff that work for Family Safety Victoria and they will add capacity.
"The government hasn't set out a specific date, but we all hope it will be operational late next year."
Ms Burns expected there would be access points outside of Wangaratta.
"I have visited another area where that is the case - there's a hub in Mildura and an access point in Swan Hill," she said.
"We expect that the lead-in to the actual opening of a physical location will be a very busy time for us.
"We've been working together with UMFC and Gateway for a long time in anticipation.
"There's a growing body of evidence in the state that it is a helpful approach."
A VACCA spokeswoman welcomed the announcement of the Orange Door opening in Wangaratta.
"Family violence is not, and never has been a part of Aboriginal culture, and VACCA is committed to supporting children's well-being and keeping children, family and community safe and helping families access services," she said.
The Victorian Auditor-General's Office found weaknesses in the first five hubs opened from 2018, finding in May "service coordination is not yet consistently effective or efficient".
Ms Burns said there were lessons to learn from the establishment of the earlier hubs, and that she was overall satisfied with the implementation of the Royal Commission's goals.
Plans are still underway for a new refuge in Wodonga.
"We are delayed with our refuge development, but we know why, and we know that it hasn't been ignored," she said.
"It's been very difficult to secure a suitable property in Wodonga ... we're nearly there."
Historically, CAV has needed to use motels on top of its five facilities for women and children at-risk - this has been unchanged during the pandemic.
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"We've been looking at this period of COVID-19 and we can't reliably report a change," Ms Burns said.
"Our patterns are that we can be more busy one month than another.
"There have been some challenges and for victim-survivors the challenge is massive, when they're restricted as everyone has been on the border.
"We are open, and when people call our service, they can have faith in the fact we won't be compromising their safety."
