The Orana Law Society has welcomed a federal government announcement of cash for community legal services, reversing expected cuts.
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The government will include $39 million of funding for Community Legal Centres and $16.7 million for indigenous legal services over three years in its May 9 budget.
Until Monday the sector had faced looming cuts amounting to $34.83 million between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2020.
Western NSW Community Legal Centre has its headquarters in Bultje Street and covers a large section of NSW.
Orana Law Society president Andrew Boog said Community Legal Centres were an important part of the legal system.
“We regret the cuts were foreshadowed in the first place, but we welcome this announcement,” he said.
He urged governments to rethink its approach to the sector for the community’s sake.
“It would be a wonderful thing if funding could be guaranteed for a time rather than have the distraction, stress and uncertainty that insecure funding brings,” he said.
“Access to justice is an important part of our society and community legal centres, particularly in rural areas are an important way of delivering.”
Parkes MP Mark Coulton welcomed the injection of funding by the Coalition government.
“$1.73 billion is now going to Legal Aid Commissions, Community Legal Centres and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services over five years to 2020, which is more than ever before,” he said.
Mr Coulton said the additional funding to Community Legal Centres would be directed to frontline family law and family violence services.
“This is the latest in a series of commitments made by this government to support the work of the legal assistance sector and women and children affected by family violence,” he said.
“As the national conversation on domestic and family violence continues, more people are coming forward to seek a range of assistance measures and the Coalition government has listened and responded.”
Labor has labelled the decision a humiliating backdown for Attorney-General George Brandis and a win for campaigners across the country.
The Law Council of Australia said it was a huge relief.
"The scheduled budget cuts would have significantly deepened the funding crisis affecting the legal assistance sector, with enormous downstream costs to taxpayers," president Fiona McLeod said.
"It heads off an impending disaster, as many community legal centres, particularly in regional areas, were set to close."
