1 year of the National Access to Justice Partnership and the gaps still show.
Over the first year of the new agreement, the network of 160+ community-based legal assistance providers has worked tirelessly to help hundreds of thousands of people address their legal needs before issues snowball into crisis.
Twelve months ago, the national peak welcomed the greater investment in legal assistance services that came through the National Access to Justice Partnership (NAJP). More recently, the Government has announced its funding for the sector’s AI pilot which will help centres streamline functions like reporting and free up workers’ time to assist more people.
Despite these steps, the funding issue for community legal centres is not settled.
Inconsistencies in states and territories’ roll out of NAJP funding has meant people have gone without legal help. The NSW Government has failed to distribute $3.5 million of Commonwealth funding promised under the agreement. Meanwhile, other jurisdictions refuse to provide security via 5-year agreements despite the funds being available and ready for that very purpose.
The acute workforce crisis continues. Inadequate investment by governments at all levels means community-based legal assistance workers continue to be paid lower wages than those at Legal Aid Commissions. With most of our workforce made up of women (80.4%) and non-binary (2.5%) workers this contributes to the growing gender pay gap. It also undermines the Commonwealth’s own objectives by risking sector sustainability as workers leave the sector for better pay and career prospects.
This is particularly true for centres in rural and remote communities where the high cost of service delivery isn’t accounted for and domestic and family violence work makes up 75% of centres’ work. In these communities, chronic under-funding and high levels of need are forcing community legal centres to turn away victim-survivors of domestic and family violence, putting women and children at risk.
Quotes attributable to Dr Tim Leach, CEO, Community Legal Centres Australia:
“The first year of the access to justice partnership has seen our centres continue to provide critical services to communities before legal issues snowball into crises. However, we want to warn all governments against thinking that the issue of funding for legal assistance is ‘fixed’.
“Funding shortfalls, rising legal need and complexity, and jurisdictional failings around administration of funds must be addressed if we want to see legal support be truly accessible by those who need it most.”
About us:
Community Legal Centres Australia is the national peak body representing 160+ community-based legal assistance services across the continent.
Contact details:
Emily Hamilton — [email protected] — 0458 066 054.
