When Melissa* fled her hometown, three children in tow, she picked a random West Australian region on a map where she would start a new life.

Key points: The Peel region accounts for 12 per cent of domestic violence incidents

The Peel region accounts for 12 per cent of domestic violence incidents 30 per cent of women seeking refuge in the region were turned away last year

30 per cent of women seeking refuge in the region were turned away last year The WA Government has promised to build a new refuge in Peel to service demand

"I didn't deserve to constantly have a fist raised at me or to be living my life feeling trapped and unsafe," she said.

"I lost my self-esteem, felt isolated [and] had depression."

Melissa had decided to leave the relationship she was in for nearly a decade.

She drove 10 hours through the night with her children in the pouring rain before arriving at her new home in WA's Peel region.

"I remember being in my empty house sitting on my loungeroom floor in the cold while breastfeeding my son," she recalled.

"Crying from the journey but knowing I could finally get some peace. Or so I thought."

Within four months she had entered a new relationship, which she said eventually resulted in another family violence restraining order.

Melissa is not alone.

Melissa attended domestic violence support programs in the Peel region to help her through two abusive relationships. ( ABC News: Rhiannon Shine )

Peel services struggling to keep up

In 2016, the Peel region made up around 5 per cent of WA's population, yet accounted for more than 12 per cent of all reported domestic violence incidents across the state.

The Peel Says No to Violence alliance organised a silent march to raise awareness and prevent domestic abuse in the region. ( ABC News: Rhiannon Shine )

A realignment of policing districts and the reporting of domestic violence incidents makes it difficult to determine whether the issue has continued to worsen, but service providers believed it had.

The Peel region, an area about 70 kilometres south of Perth which encompasses five local governments, is home to a growing population of more than 120,000 people.

The region has just one women's refuge, the Mandurah-based Pat Thomas House, which has just six rooms that are constantly full.

It accommodated about 350 women and children last financial year, but was unable to accommodate more than 30 per cent of people who needed help due to limited space and funding.

"In the past 20 years we have not actually expanded our capacity to accommodate the growth in the region," Pat Thomas House chairwoman Paula Downing said.

"In addition to that there is an increase in domestic violence. Couple that with the population growth, that gives you an indication that demand way exceeds supply."

Second women's refuge promised

The State Government has committed to build a new refuge in the Peel region next year to service the growing and unmet need.

It will be the first refuge of its kind in WA, providing tailored services for people with mental health or substance use issues.

The refuge is expected to be operational in November 2020 and available to women across Western Australia.

While the Peel region has about 5 per cent of WA's population, it accounts for more than 12 per cent of reported domestic violence. ( ABC News: Rhiannon Shine )

"We are pleased the State Government is progressing its election commitment to build a second refuge in the Peel Region," Ms Downing said.

"We are proud of the collective effort of our community to lobby for more safe places and appropriate services for women and children escaping family and domestic violence in our region.

"The Peel region has grown significantly since the incorporation of Pat Thomas House in 1984 and a second women's and children's refuge in the region will go a long way to meeting the needs in our community."

'A growing problem on our hands'

But other services are also stretched.

Allambee, a State Government-funded family domestic violence counselling service for people in the Peel region, has a wait list up to three months long.

Nicole Lambert says Allambee Counselling experienced a sharp rise in demand for counselling services. ( ABC News: Rhiannon Shine )

"The need for services and the demand here because of the population growth just far exceeds the services that are here," Allambee Counselling executive officer Nicole Lambert said.

"Since January last year we have experienced probably a 60 per cent increase in the number of clients we are providing family and domestic violence counselling services to.

"Those people who have less urgent situations will need to wait for services, and in general that wait will be about three months."

In 2016, service providers including Allambee and Pat Thomas joined to form the Peel Says No to Violence alliance, a community-led organisation with a goal to "raise awareness, understanding and take action to prevent family and domestic violence in the Peel region".

"We had a growing problem on our hands and the community were really increasingly concerned," Ms Lambert said.

"And also [we] realised that if we didn't do something about this, probably nothing was going to be done at that stage."

Schools offer help for families fleeing violence

The Alliance has grown to become a group of organisations and individuals who all pledge to undertake an activity that will help the cause as part of their annual membership.

As part of the campaign, more than 20 schools in the region have changed their enrolment processes to allow a smooth transition for children fleeing violence, by doing away the requirement for birth certificates and other paperwork.

"One of the biggest problems we had in our community was that sometimes when families flee a family and domestic violence situation, they often don't take paperwork to enrol," Mandurah Primary School principal Natasha Upcott said.

Primary School principal Natasha Upcott has changed enrolment processes to help children affected by domestic violence. ( ABC News: Rhiannon Shine )

"Schools require birth certificates and proof of address, and it was holding up enrolments for students for anywhere up to four to six weeks.

"So kids were not in school when they have already been through a traumatic situation."

The schools involved with Peel Says No to Violence campaign have also started holding fundraisers and providing school packs filled with necessities for children escaping family violence.

Melissa said she had been surrounded by support in the Peel region, including through programs run by Pat Thomas House and counselling through Allambee.

"I'll continue to heal and grow every day because now I know my worth," she said.

*Names have been changed to protect the family's identity.