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$125m needed to keep DV, FV services open, say CLCs
With the rise in the number of people reaching out to community legal centres to seek assistance with domestic and family violence, Community Legal Centres Australia is urging the government to increase funding to ensure that these centres can continue providing services and support to those in need.
Grace Robbie
Community Legal Centres Australia (CLC Australia), which serves as the “national peak body” for 165 community legal services across the country, has recently called upon the federal government to allocate more funding to frontline services dedicated to addressing women’s safety.
According to a recent survey conducted by the non-profit organisation, “78 per cent of community legal services in Australia provide domestic and family violence support and/or family law services”.
The data indicates the presence of individuals seeking support and advice for domestic and family violence nationwide and the need to provide these services with the necessary assistance to continue offering such crucial support services.
However, CLC Australia discovered in its research that “an additional $125 million is required in the 2024 federal budget to guarantee that services can keep their programs open while a new national funding agreement is negotiated over the next 12 months”.
Arlia Fleming, the deputy chair of CLC Australia and the chief executive of Central Tablelands and Blue Mountains Legal Centre, has expressed her concern over the limited funding that community legal services receive.
She has stated that this funding shortage significantly affects their “ability to deliver essential services” and places “vulnerable individuals and families at risk”.
CLC Australia also uncovered that “community legal services nationally are forced to turn away 1,000 people every day due to a funding shortfall that is driving a workforce shortage of over 2,000 staff nationally”.
Fleming agreed with the non-profit organisation’s findings by revealing that “we already have a consistent three-week waiting list”.
She expressed that “without access to our services, victim-survivors may be forced to remain in an unsafe environment. Without early intervention and support, the long-term social and economic costs of domestic and family violence will continue to escalate”.
It is imperative to ensure that community legal services receive the necessary funding to continue operating and providing assistance to those who need it. These services provide “free advice” and “support” to individuals facing challenging issues, including “sexual harassment, protection orders, child custody, and separation arrangements”.
Being a frontline service provider, Fleming expressed how impactful securing additional funding would be for these community legal services.
“Our sector’s capacity to respond to community legal needs has reduced under this federal government. As the legal assistance sector moves into the final year of our funding agreement, we need the federal government to invest $125 million for 2024–25 to keep centres afloat.
“We also need to see future funding levels locked into the forward estimates to give the sector certainty as we enter a 12-month negotiation around the next national funding agreement. People experiencing violence deserve to feel certain that the services they rely upon will continue to exist after 1 July 2025,” Fleming commented.
CLC Australia isn’t the only independent body advocating for the government to increase their funding.
National Legal Aid has also called for the government’s annual funding to increase by more than $300 million to better meet the demand for legal aid services in cases related to family and domestic violence.
To address such imperative issues, Fleming expressed: “We implore the federal government and all community stakeholders working to keep women safe to recognise the importance of adequate funding for frontline services in our national response. The time to act is now.
“Together, we can ensure that no one in our community is left without the resources and support they need to escape violence and rebuild their lives.”
