"Every time the phone rings, you're thinking how many rooms are left. All you want to do is help, especially when you can hear children in the background. It's sad that it's Christmas and New Year, when everyone should be joyous.
"We've had eight big families - mothers with up to four or five children. The violence is the same, regardless of the extent of it, whether it's physical or psychological. When they're in the safehouse they all sit down and have something in common."
She said some women would be leaving the city to be with other family members and those who chose to stay in Rotorua would have safety plans and protection orders put in place.
"They will also receive ongoing counselling and support once they leave the refuge. Hopefully, they will see there's a better life without violence."
Rotorua police had not experienced a significant increase in domestic offending, Mr Anderson said, but the pressure on the refuge could be from more women choosing to escape that cycle.
"I think it's a good, positive step forward, getting away from violence," he said.
"No one needs to live with that. We know it's a challenge to go down that path but the sooner they can break out of that cycle, the better. It doesn't get any better [by staying], it just gets worse over time and the violence will escalate."
He said alcohol was a contributing factor to family violence, with frontline police using pepper spray or presenting Tasers when dealing with violent offenders.
