Construction has begun on a $5 million facility in Burnie that will provide trauma-informed support for victim-survivors of family and sexual violence.
The North-West Arch Centre is due to open in February 2026, bringing family violence services, sexual assault support and police together under one roof.
Minister Felix Ellis said the multidisciplinary model had already transformed support in Hobart and Launceston, where more than 600 people have accessed the centres.
“Supporting victim survivors is one of the most important things that government can do,” he said.
“We want to make sure we’re respecting victim survivors in the choices that they make.”
The Burnie centre will give people the option to connect with services such as Laurel House and the Sexual Assault Support Service or report directly to police – without being required to speak with police unless they choose to.
“It’ll be a welcoming space where victim survivors can come in and seek the support that they need,” Ellis said.
Laurel House CEO Kathryn Fordyce said the north-west coast had high levels of family and sexual violence, with demand for services constantly growing.
“I’m a north-west coaster, I run Laurel House from the north-west coast and right from the start of the announcement of our Arch Centres I was advocating for the need for this community to have the multidisciplinary response,” she said.
She said many victim-survivors found traditional police stations intimidating or unsafe.
“The spaces that we have created in Launceston and in Hobart … we hear so often from victim survivors that the space in the Northern Arch is just so much nicer than having to give their statement in another kind of police space,” Fordyce said.
Tasmania Police Assistant Commissioner Robert Blackwood said lessons from the two-year pilots in the state’s north and south would shape Burnie’s centre.
“Our police are really well trained who work in these centres and it’s the opportunity to listen to victims and be guided by them about what they want,” he said.
“We have all the services here together to make sure we’re offering a service the victims need and providing that support in their time of need.”
The Burnie facility is part of a $43 million statewide investment in Arch Centres, backed by the government’s $100 million third family and sexual violence action plan.
Sexual assault support services:
Sexual Assault Support Service (Tasmania): 1800 697 877
1800 Respect national helpline: 1800 737 732
Sexual Assault Counselling Australia: 1800 211 028
Bravehearts (support for child sexual abuse survivors): 1800 272 831
Other helplines:
Lifeline (24-hour crisis line): 131 114
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
Tasmania’s Victims of Crime Service: 1300 300 238
