Specialist legal services miss out on critical funding

Rachael Robertson, Principal Solicitor of Western Women's Legal Support.

Women, families and vulnerable people across Western NSW have been overlooked in a recent funding announcement, in which the NSW Government failed to respond to the region's growing need for free legal services.

Neither Western NSW Community Legal Centre (WNSWCLC), nor its specialist DV unit - Western Women's Legal Support (WWLS) - will receive uplift funding through the National Access to Justice Partnership. The decision comes despite escalating demand and repeated calls for greater investment in regional legal assistance, and more than a year after additional funding for community legal centres was announced.

The outcome is particularly concerning for regional communities where increasing cost-of-living pressures, domestic and family violence, housing insecurity, financial hardship and the ongoing impacts of natural disasters are driving unprecedented demand for free legal services.

WNSWCLC and WWLS welcome the NSW Government's recent commitment to strengthening specialist domestic and family violence programs. However, those investments do not include specialist legal assistance services such as WWLS, despite legal support being a critical component of a victim-survivor's pathway to safety and recovery.

Rachael Robertson, Principal Solicitor of Western Women's Legal Support, said the decision was a missed opportunity to address growing unmet legal need across Western NSW.

"Any investment in domestic and family violence responses is positive and should be applauded, however, victim-survivors need more than referral pathways," Ms Robertson said.

"They need access to lawyers who can help them obtain protection orders, resolve family law matters, secure safe housing and navigate complex legal systems.

"Funding programs that identify and refer women experiencing violence without adequately funding the legal services that assist them creates a significant gap in the response system."

WNSWCLC also missed out on funding to recruit staff to undertake important work building health justice partnerships with Aboriginal Controlled Health Organisations across its region, as well as providing legal support to vulnerable people dealing with social security problems, such as challenging Centrelink debts or being underpaid.

Patrick O'Callaghan, The Guardian Australia 2023.

Patrick O’Callaghan, Principal Solicitor of WNSWCLC, said: “There is a strong relationship between poor health and legal problems. GPs are often the first place people will disclose having a legal problem, and it can manifest with negative health concerns around stress and poor mental wellbeing.

"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have shorter life expectancy, and we want to help close that gap. It takes significant resources to reach communities across our region so we can work with Aboriginal Controlled Health Organisations to provide free legal help in a safe and supportive way.”

Mr O’Callaghan added: “So many people, for reasons beyond their control, rely on Centrelink supports to get by. People living with disabilities, older people, women experiencing family and domestic abuse, people experiencing homelessness and people in remote areas, just to name a few, rely on these payments. It is a complex area of law and people find themselves in situations where payments stop or they are told they owe large sums of money to the government. They deserve legal help to make sure the system gets it right. We don’t need another Robodebt situation occurring.”

WNSWCLC and WWLS are calling on the NSW Government to reconsider investment in regional legal assistance services and ensure communities across Western NSW are not left behind.