MEDIA STATEMENT: The Crisafulli Government delivers critical funding for legal assistance sector

The Crisafulli Government delivers critical funding for legal assistance sector   

• The Crisafulli Government has provided certainty to the community legal sector with $666 million in funding for 30 legal assistance services across Queensland.
• Funding gives stability to the sector over the next five years as they work to assist some of the most vulnerable in the State.
• This was made possible through a funding uplift by the Crisafulli Government, which unlocked $827 million in Commonwealth funding. 

The Crisafulli Government has announced critical funding for community-based legal centres and assistance programs across the State, after Labor left frontline services at risk with a budget blackhole.  

More than $666 million in State and Commonwealth funding has been allocated to 30 organisations providing legal assistance to some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged around the State, including victims of domestic and family violence, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and rural communities.  

The Queensland-wide funding will be allocated over five years and comes after the Crisafulli Government announced a dedicated uplift for the legal assistance sector of $142 million, bringing total State funding to approximately $1 billion.   

This allowed the State to access a further $827 million in Commonwealth funding under the National Access to Justice Partnership.  

The previous Labor Government put the almost $1 billion in Commonwealth funding at risk through their budget blackhole and failing to fund community legal services.  

Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said without the Crisafulli Government’s commitment, legal assistance services in the State would have been put in jeopardy.  

“Demand for legal assistance continues to increase and I’m proud that the Crisafulli Government has fought hard to secure the funding that was at risk under Labor,” the Attorney-General said.  

“Steven Miles and his bad budgeting would have cost the sector almost a billion dollars in federal funding over the next five years.  

“Our investment helps to ensure these vital services can continue to help people experiencing domestic and family violence, tenancy issues, employment disputes, and other important legal matters.” 

Director of Community Legal Centres Queensland, Rosslyn Monro AM, said the funding was vital for the sector.  

"Community Legal Centres Queensland welcomes this historic investment into community legal centres by the State and Commonwealth governments,” Ms Monro said.    

“The state proportion of the announcement is the biggest investment in Queensland community legal centres in decades.   

“This investment provides these community legal centres with funding security for the next five years and the funding uplift means centres are facing a more sustainable future.”  

ENDS  

MEDIA CONTACT: Rebecca Nardi 0475 688 124 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  

The funding will support and renew a range of frontline services across the State under the Legal Assistance Services Program, including:  

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service 
• Aboriginal Family Legal Services Queensland   
• Aged and Disability Advocacy Australia Ltd  
• Basic Rights Queensland Inc  
• Bayside Community Legal Service Inc 
• Cairns Community Legal Centre Inc 
• Caxton Legal Centre Inc 
• Central Queensland Community Legal Centre Inc 
• Community Legal Centres Queensland (Peak Body for CLCs) 
• First Nations Women’s Legal Service Qld Inc 
• Gold Coast Community Legal Centre and Advice Bureau Inc 
• HUB Community Legal   
• LawRight 
• LGBTI Legal Service Inc 
• Mackay Regional Community Legal Centre Inc 
• North Queensland Women’s Legal Service Inc  
• Northside Connect Inc 
• Pine Rivers Community Legal Service Inc  
• Prisoners’ Legal Service Inc  
• Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion   
• Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service   
• Refugee and Immigration Legal Service Inc  
• Suncoast Community Legal Service Inc 
• TASC National Ltd 
• Tenants Queensland Ltd  
• Townsville Community Law Inc 
• Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre Inc 
• Women’s Legal Service Queensland Ltd  
• Youth Advocacy Centre Inc 
• YFS Ltd.