Funding boost for free legal service

Member for Albury, Justin Clancy, today welcomed a three-year increase of $15.6 million for community legal centres across NSW, including more than $550,000 for the Hume Riverina Community Legal Service over the next three years.

“The good news today is that a higher level of ongoing funding has been secured for three years, compared to previous smaller and one-off funding,” said Mr Clancy. “This will really assist vulnerable people in our community who need free help with legal problems.”

“This is the announcement our local Community Legal Centres (CLCs) have been waiting for,” Mr Clancy said.

“The lawyers and staff of the Hume Riverina Community Legal Centre are providing crucial free legal services to those who can least afford private legal representation – people we know we need to support here in our community.”

Support for the CLC sector has been increased to a record of more than $14 million per year from 2019-20. This represents an increase in state funding of over 85 per cent since 2015-16. Additionally, for the first time CLCs will be allocated funding for the next three years, providing their staff and lawyers with the certainty they need to plan ahead.

Attorney General and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Mark Speakman said the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government has a proven track record in providing financial support for CLCs who help 55,000 people a year across the State.

“CLCs help people with a range of issues including tenancy, fines, disability rights, immigration, family matters, domestic and family violence. This funding will improve access to justice for particularly vulnerable members of the community,” Mr Speakman said.

“Small legal issues can balloon into major problems for disadvantaged families, which is why this increased support for CLCs is so important.”

The NSW Government’s investment supports 33 organisations that provide community legal services across metropolitan, regional and rural areas of NSW.