Latest news with #PeterMitchell
West Australian
16 hours ago
- General
- West Australian
Long-promised Broome One Stop Domestic Violence Hub officially opens
The hub, named Bibimbiya Jan-ga Buru, meaning women and children's healing place in Yawuru language, is located at 19 Barker Street and provides a one stop entry point for a range of specialist supports for people experiencing family and domestic violence, including advocacy, counselling, legal assistance, and support for children. Service delivery is led by Men's Outreach Service Aboriginal Corporation, operating as Family Outreach Service, in partnership with Anglicare WA and service alliance members Nirrumbuk Aboriginal Corporation, Jalygurr Guwan Aboriginal Corporation, Broome CIRCLE and Legal Aid WA. The $23 million project also provides family and domestic violence outreach services to Derby and Bidyadanga. Ms Stojkovski said domestic violence has a devastating impact on families and breaking the cycle requires targeted services in primary prevention and early intervention like which is offered at the hub. 'The securing of a suitable property to house the Broome Family and Domestic Violence One Stop Hub is a significant milestone and will ensure victim-survivors can access a range of supports and get the assistance that's right for them, including cultural support and healing services, all from the single location,' she said. 'By co-locating key support with other community services, a 'soft' entry point is created, reducing stigma attached to seeking assistance.' It comes as the Kimberley continues to record the highest rates of domestic violence in the State, with 11,912 offences per 100,000 people in 2023-24, more than 15 times the Perth metropolitan area rate of 756 per 100,000 people. Despite this, the Broome location is some 18-months behind its originally announced opening date of late 2023 and was the last DV hub to start delivering interim services in November 2024. It is the third hub to open its dedicated facility in WA behind Kalgoorlie and Mirrabooka, which were officially launched in December 2020 and Perth in October 2024 after being announced in April 2024. An Armadale hub, announced at the same time as the Broome hub in 2022, started delivering interim services in September 2023 and is expected to transfer into full service delivery in 2025. Ms Stojkovski said the delay in finding a location for the Broome Hub was due to logistical challenges and the need to find a culturally appropriate site. 'It was logistics more than anything else, it took a long time to find a culturally appropriate place,' she said. Asked whether there was potential for another hub in Derby near where a woman was allegedly murdered by a man known to her in April, Ms Stojkovski said a lack of funding remained a barrier. 'If there was no restriction on money, we would have a hub everywhere but that's not feasible in a State such as WA,' she said. MOSAC chief executive Peter Mitchell said it had been a balancing act between finding an appropriate location and delivering the service in a timely manner. 'Going back to the whole issue of delay . . . we needed to get this right and not offer a half-baked option,' he said. 'The balance has been to make sure that we've got all the correct staff and all the resources we need before pushing it out to the general public while also recognising there are women still being harmed and you can't just close the door. So it's been a balancing act.' He also recognised funding was an issue, but said more services were needed to tackle domestic violence in remote areas. 'Let's acknowledge that there aren't enough services. The community would like more services, particularly outside of the Broome,' Mr Mitchell said. 'This is a great facility and we do have outreach services in Derby and Bidyadanga, but there's so many other places that also require that.' Acknowledging the delay, Kimberley MLA Divina D'Anna said there was no one solution in tackling domestic violence. 'I do understand that it is a long time coming, and I'd also like to put on record that this is not the silver bullet,' she said. 'There are services in Broome and in outreach . . . in Kununurra and Derby. So there are services. Everyone's playing their part to try and get ahead of this.' It comes as a landmark study into men and domestic violence from the Australian Institute of Family Studies was released on June 3. The study found 35 per cent of men aged 18-65 years have used intimate partner violence in their lifetime, with an estimated 120,000 men nationally each year starting to use it for the first time. It also found men who reported high levels of social support 'all of the time' were 26 per cent less likely to report using intimate partner violence. Federal Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said early intervention was key to preventing domestic violence. 'We want to stop intimate partner violence before it starts. To do so, we need to do more than respond to it, we need to understand it,' she said. 'That's why this data from Ten to Men is so important. By providing an understanding of what may lead to men using violence, the study gives us a better chance of identifying those at risk of offending and intervening to ensure the healthy development of young men and boys.'
ABC News
2 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Broome domestic violence support hub opens after years of delays
Amid a worsening domestic violence crisis in Western Australia's far north a family support hub has opened in Broome. According to police data there were 2,018 call-outs for family and domestic violence in the region in the first three months of this year. The rate has increased every year for the last six years. The Broome facility, Bibimbiya Jan-ga Buru – meaning women and children's healing place – will support locals as well as Derby and Bidyadanga residents. Service providers in the Kimberley, which has the worst domestic violence-related statistics in the state, have been calling for support for years. The Broome hub was slated to open in 2023 but that was delayed by location issues. The Men's Outreach Service Aboriginal Corporation (MOSAC), operating as Family Outreach Service, has been leading the project delivery. Chief executive Peter Mitchell said the opening had been a long time coming. If you need help immediately call emergency services on triple-0 "The Kimberley have been dealing for a long time with a crisis in family violence and it hasn't been getting better — if anything it's been get worse," he said. The centre is expected to be fully operational within a week and will offer access to legal advice, childcare services and other support, according to Mr Mitchell. He said the site would operate as a "one-stop" hub filled with multi-disciplinary providers to help those in need and function as a "healing space" as opposed to an emergency access point. Security guards will not be stationed at the hub, but Mr Mitchell says it will be a safe space for those seeking support. WA Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Jessica Stojkovski acknowledged the difficulties faced while establishing the hub and noted the importance of cultural sensitivity. "The issues specific to regions like the Kimberley are really intricate," she said. "So ensuring we got a space that was culturally appropriate and safe for women and children to come was a really important driver in finding the right location." Ms Stojkovski said it was important to focus on the services soon to be available rather than dwell on the delayed opening. "I understand it's easy to link deaths to this, as a delayed service that hasn't come on board," she said. "Understand that even if somebody had access to the family and domestic violence hub, you may have had the same outcome. "Every death in our community as a result of family and domestic violence is a tragedy and services like these are designed to help … prevent tragic circumstances from happening." Following the opening of the hub Ms Stojkovski and Kimberley MP Divina D'Anna attended Nyamba Buru Yawuru for the launch of the Mabu Aamba West Kimberley Aboriginal Men's Network interim plan. Co-founder John Puertollano said the network's goals included addressing family and domestic violence by working with men. Last year network launched a program focused on underlying challenges men face, including poor mental health and high incarceration rates. The goal, Mr Puertollano said, was to "help them to pull back and understand that they have a problem and work through that problem, or even prevent that problem from happening". "To support the men to become a responsible man back in his family," he said. The men's support group handed its interim plan to the Ms Stojkovski and Ms D'Anna in the hope of securing ongoing funding for the next stage.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
GPS artist's epic large-scale sketch of Lionel Messi ends in disaster after king tide swallows his car
A fitness enthusiast who creates large scale digital sketches using GPS and a run tracking app copped a messy surprise after completing his latest creation. Peter Mitchell spent most of Friday running and jogging to a specific set of coordinates along a stretch of remote sand dunes near Sandy Point, about three hours from Melbourne. After five hours and some 15 kilometres of distance covered, his epic drawing of football legend Lionel Messi was complete. The feeling of satisfaction was short-lived, after he returned to his red Toyota Yaris parked on the sand and found an unusually high king tide had swallowed it. 'I came around the corner and saw it, and I thought: 'Oh no, how am I going to get out of here? How am I going to get home?' Mr Mitchell told 'It's quite remote out there and there's not a lot around.' Dusk was rapidly approaching, the mercury had dropped significantly, and the 50-year-old was drenched from wading through the water. The nearest town was about a 30-minute drive away and Mr Mitchell faced the prospect of having to walk there. He grabbed a few essentials from his submerged car, including his diabetes medication, and ventured to the road. 'My hands were going blue because I'd been standing around in the water for so long. I thought maybe I'd be best to go for a bit of a jog to get down to the town. And then I saw this lady and asked for her help.' Ironically, the woman had come down to the beach to check out the king tide, which she'd heard was a sight to see that day. She drove Mr Mitchell to the town of Forster, which is a thriving hub in warmer months but slows right down over winter. 'I had a few wee dramas there because I was soaked right through. I had to get food into me because I hadn't had lunch – it was in the car and all wet. I went down to the pub, but I'm like, I can't go in bare feet, but my shoes and socks were absolutely soaking. 'I used a few tea towels, wrapped them around my feet as socks to absorb some of the water, and rocked into the pub and had a meal.' Warm and with a full belly, Mr Mitchell turned his mind to how he was going to salvage his beloved little car – and get home to the Mornington Peninsula. 'I spoke to a mechanic, who put me onto a few other people, they'd give me numbers, and it went around in circles. Finally, I got a hold of a guy with a tractor and he said he'd pull it out for $500.' A few friends from Melbourne were prepared to hire a trailer, drive to Sandy Point, and take Mr Mitchell and the Yaris home. 'I thought, OK, I'll go down to the beach as early as I can to check out the situation and see how bad it looks before I ring this guy with the tractor. But there's no taxis. I rang the one place, and it went to their answer machine, because it's the off-season. 'I'm just about to try hitchhiking when the taxi lady rang me back. So, she drove me there. We had an interesting conversation on the way.' In the bright light of day, and with the tide out, his car 'didn't look too bad' and Mr Mitchell had expected it to sink into the wet sand overnight. He sat inside it to survey the damage. It was full of water. But out of interest, he tried to turn it over – and it started. 'I thought, there's no way in hell. I literally closed my eyes and prayed. It started. Then I thought, this thing isn't going to move, but it did, and I drove straight off the beach. 'I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to turn it off again, but I phoned a mate who knows a bit about cars and asked what I should do. He said I should have a go driving it home. At least if it died, I'd be on the side of a road and could get help.' Miraculously, Mr Mitchell made it all the way to his house – about 155 kilometres away. 'Every time I stopped or went around a corner, all the water inside the car would slosh around. It was splishing and splashing all over the place.' The entire ordeal stretched for more than 24 hours and he described it as 'a rollercoaster' of emotions. 'It went from doing a really good Strava and feeling good about that to seeing the car and worrying, then being stranded and wondering if I was going to get hypothermia, to the car starting and actually working, then next thing I'm home. 'It was a relief. My car is pretty old anyway, it's got 240,000 kilometres on it, so I'm pretty amazed. But it was a long day. I'm still kind of unpacking it.' Mr Mitchell shared a video clip of the saga to his social media channels, where he has built a loyal global following over the past several months. To mark his 50th birthday last year, he created a large-scale map of the world by doing 170 kilometres of running through inner-city Melbourne and shared it on Strava, the run tracking app, and it went viral. After that, he started posting his creations to Instagram and later TikTok, receiving millions of views and occasionally generating international media buzz. For example, his sketch of LA Lakers star Kobe Bryant saw him interviewed on ESPN and CBS News in the United States. 'I've been working more on the high precision stuff at parks or the beach with smaller detailed elements. Using street routing, you can't get that same level of detail and there are lots of constraints. 'But if you're doing it in a big open area, you can do almost anything. It's amazing. I enjoy everything about it.' What started out as a bit of fun and a way of adding an additional challenge to his regular running regimen has taken Mr Mitchell somewhere he never imagined. 'I'm new to social media. I hadn't really used it before this. It's incredible to see how people respond to them. It's just nuts.' He has partnered with Strava and Telstra on a few projects and has a few more lined up with Foot Looker and the Melbourne Marathon. 'I would never have believed any of this happening in my wildest dreams.' While it's far from big bucks, it's a sign that Mr Mitchell has found a strong niche and could turn his burgeoning brand into something special. Until then, he's now wondering how he will go about replacing his Yaris. While it got him home, it's almost certainly a write-off. A friend from his running club started a Go Fund Me appeal on his behalf, calling for fans and supporters to chip in a few bucks to help ease the financial burden. 'I told them, there are a million good causes out there and people have got better things to spend their money on, but they insisted and set it up. It's nice, but I was reluctant. I'm just rolling with it.' When he has enough to buy himself a new car, there's no doubt what brand he'll consider. 'A second-hand Toyota, I think,' he laughed. 'I mean, it's proven to be pretty reliable and resilient.'
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Channel Seven makes major change after 23 years: 'End of an era'
Channel Seven will make history tonight as it broadcasts its first news segment from its new headquarters in Melbourne 's CBD. For almost a quarter of a century, 7News has broadcast from the waterfront at Harbour Esplanade, in Docklands, after airing for the first time in 2002. Seven Network's Melbourne operation has officially relocated to its new home at Melbourne Quarter Tower (MQT) on Collins Street. The 7News Melbourne team delivered their final bulletin from Broadcast Centre Melbourne (BCM) on Sunday night. The first live edition from the new studios will air tonight at 6.00pm, presented by longtime anchor Peter Mitchell alongside Rebecca Maddern and Jane Bunn. The new facility spans two floors of Melbourne Quarter Tower and is modelled on Seven's Eveleigh headquarters in Sydney, which replaced the Martin Place office. It now houses the network's entire Melbourne news and sport operations, including all afternoon and evening news bulletins. Seven Horse Racing, and flagship 7AFL programs Sunday Footy Feast and The Wash Up will also operate from the same studio. The new studios also include a dedicated space for Sunrise, giving the breakfast show greater flexibility to broadcast from Melbourne. 'Our new Melbourne home is purpose-built to embrace the future of media and is setting the benchmark for innovation in broadcast and digital production,' Seven West Media CEO and managing director Jeff Howard said. 'Our investment in the Melbourne Quarter Tower reflects the importance of the Melbourne market to Seven. 'Which is home to some of our most valued clients and content partners, including the AFL and Cricket Australia.' Seven West Media editor-in-chief and director of news and current affairs Anthony De Ceglie said it was a pivotal moment in the network's journey. 'Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in Seven Melbourne's rich history and an exciting new era for our news team,' De Ceglie said. 'We're moving from a newsroom that served us well for decades into a purpose-built space designed for the future. 'It's a shift that honours our legacy and sets the stage for what we can deliver in this state-of-the-art environment.' The relocation is significant for veteran newsreader Peter Mitchell, who has anchored the 6.00pm bulletin every weeknight since Seven first launched broadcasts from BCM. 'There's a tinge of sadness about it for sure,' Mitchell reflected. 'I take great pride in looking back and knowing that I've been the main guy in the history of 7News at Docklands. 'It has been my privilege to represent all our staff who work so hard during all hours of the day.' He recalled the plans to broadcast from Docklands, coinciding with the redevelopment of Melbourne's west, including construction of a new football stadium. 'I must admit I thought we would be here for more than 24 years, but that just goes to show you the changing media landscape,' Mitchell said. He added audiences tuning in tonight will immediately notice the difference. 'The first thing the viewers will notice is that our new studio is much bigger, and the clarity and crispness of our new screens, our graphics will be better and brighter and the whole look will be much cleaner,' he said. The first broadcast from the Melbourne Quarter Tower begins tonight at 6.00pm on 7News.
7NEWS
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Historic moment for 7NEWS Melbourne with move from Docklands to Melbourne Quarter Tower after 23 years
As 7NEWS Melbourne prepares to move its entire operations to a new home, news anchor Peter Mitchell has revealed some of his most memorable moments from his 23 years hosting at the Docklands studio. Monday will mark the historic move with the team moving from Harbour Esplanade to their new digs at the bustling Melbourne Quarter Tower (MQT) on Collins St. With 7NEWS Melbourne signing off for the final time from 'BCM' on Sunday night, Peter Mitchell was asked for some of his favourite moments from his two decades at Docklands. 'I'll never forget grand final eve in 2015 when one of my daughters happened to be sitting with me in the studio. At around 20 minutes to air. I heard her say: 'Dad, is that meant to happen?'' he said. 'I looked up to my left from pre-reading my scripts, to see a stream of water coming from the roof. 'An old boiler in the ceiling was leaking and the trickle became a torrent! That we were able to rearrange a camera and present the bulletin from a position in the newsroom, was testament to our magnificent crew.' Mitch also thinks back fondly on all the Victorian state elections that he has been a part of covering from the BCM newsroom and how memorable those nights have been. 'How can they not be when you're sitting next to Jeff Kennett, who is sipping a fine single malt whisky from his paper cup?' he said. Mitch, who has been in the 7NEWS Melbourne hosting chair since the very first broadcast at BCM in March 2002, said there is a 'tinge of sadness' about the historic move. 'I take great pride in looking back and knowing that I've been the main guy in the history of 7NEWS at Docklands. It has been my privilege to be the face of 7NEWS Melbourne and to represent all our staff who work so hard during all hours of the day,' he said. I recall when we first came here and we were part of the Chairman's bold new plan to help redevelop the western part of Melbourne with a new state-of-the-art football stadium with a retractable roof, and a new central broadcast centre for his network. 'I must admit I thought we would be here for more than 23 years, but that just goes to show you the changing media landscape and the slogan we have always worked under as journalists and presenters: 'Expect the unexpected'. 'The only thing I'm bringing with me from the studio is my trusty refillable and environmentally friendly water bottle!' Rebecca Maddern has also shared her personal connection to the Docklands studio. 'First day, I was absolutely petrified! I had no prior TV experience, I'd come straight from FM radio and I was 23. I was completely overwhelmed by the people, the lingo and the huge broadcast centre,' she said. 'My first news bulletin I will remember forever. It was the 4.30pm Afternoon News, and a national bulletin no less. No pressure! 'I was so nervous; my hands were shaking for the first 10 minutes and I had to drink two litres of water because my mouth was so dry. 'I had moment of reflection during our last week at the BCM (Melbourne Broadcast Centre). I first arrived there when I was so young and so inexperienced. Now, I'm the old wise one! I've grown up on television and news and sport has been my life ever since that first day.' Melbourne Quarter Tower The new office for 7NEWS Melbourne is purpose built across two floors to mirror Seven Sydney's famous Eveleigh office and studios. The high-tech facility features a digital IP-based television facility, full high-definition LED based news set and non-linear file-based story capture and editing, and a large-scale sports control room capable of controlling and presenting the largest of sporting events, making it one of the most advanced broadcasting facilities in Australia. 'The first thing the viewers will notice is the clarity and crispness of our new screens, so our graphics will be better and brighter and the whole look will be much cleaner,' Mitch said. 'They will also notice that our new studio is much bigger, so when I'm in the chair, you'll see that Jane and Bec have more walking to do! 'As presenters, we don't have offices anymore, but workstations like everyone else. It's all very egalitarian and a great opportunity for us all to see how a modern newsroom works in harmony.' The new home of Seven Network Melbourne will see all 7NEWS afternoon and evening bulletins, Seven Horse Racing, and popular 7AFL shows Sunday Footy Feast and The Wash Up, broadcast from the new state-of-the-art high-rise.
