Toowoomba’s Protea Place secures four-year, $2.5m funding agreement with Qld government

The women’s support service Louise Griffiths dedicated her time to before she was killed in April has secured a major funding boost in the next state budget.

It had long been Louise Griffiths’ dream for women’s support service Protea Place to secure long-term government so it could continues its vital work.

But when reflecting on achieving that goal this week, charity chief executive Amanda Dalton had just a single thought in her mind.

“I was sitting on my deck last night … and I thought, ‘if it was an option, I would give this money back in a heartbeat if it meant that we could have her back’,” Ms Dalton lamented.

“It’s not an option, so we are very much in her honour and will continue to do the work of recovery.”

Ms Dalton dedicated the new four-year extension of funding, worth $2.5m, in the upcoming state budget to dedicated Protea Place volunteer Ms Griffiths, who was killed in April in a house fire.

Her husband, Cameron Robert Hunt, has been charged with her murder.

Ms Dalton said the quest for year-on-year funding, which would allow the organisation to maintain its existing service levels and redirect fundraising for extra initiatives, had been front of mind for Ms Griffiths when she was alive.

“Louise was always pushing really hard for the ultimate goal for us was to secure some recurrent government funding so that we could then focus on what we needed to do at the front line,” Ms Dalton said.

“Our fundraising efforts could (then) be to do those complementary services rather than the actual vital work of being keeping the doors open and paying the staff.

“I know that Louise would be looking down on us and be so very proud.

“Louise (I want to) say this one’s for you.”

The announcement on Friday was made with Toowoomba South MP and treasurer David Janetzki, who said the $2.5m package would ensure the previous government’s funding commitment of $650,000 would extend beyond June 30.

“We want recurrent funding here at Protea Place because the challenge of tackling the scourge of domestic violence continues, and we want Protea Place receiving continuing funding because their work is continuing,” he said.

“In a community like ours, we all know people that have lived through and have survived domestic violence, and when we have seen women in our community losing their lives, we all know them.

“Protea Place was started and owned by the community, and Amanda led it, and her strength has seen it not just survive but prosper, and so to be able to offer this recurrent funding now to lock in the services here and keep the doors open to vulnerable women is a wonderful thing to see.”

Toowoomba North MP Trevor Watts said Ms Griffiths’ death was a stinging reminder of the impact of domestic and family violence.

“Over 4000 people have come through these doors and found over 13,000 different support actions to make sure that they can get their lives back on track and back together,” he said.

“The tragedies we’ve seen over the last few months bring into sharp focus why service like this is needed, where people can go, feel safe, feel comfortable, get supported and get their life back on track.”

The announcement’s press release featured quotes from prevention of domestic and family violence minister Amanda Camm arguing the previous government had not funded Protea Place previously, which a Labor spokesman slammed as “blatantly false”.