ALP Commits to Additional Core Funding for Community Legal Centres and Lifeline for National Peak

Media Release

3 May 2019

The National Association of Community Legal Centres (NACLC) welcomes today’s commitment by the ALP to additional core funding for community legal centres across Australia to provide vital legal help as well as support for NACLC as the national peak if elected.   

The funding commitment was announced this morning by Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.  Specifically, over four years it includes:

  • $20 million core funding for community legal centres, and
  • $4 million for NACLC as the national peak body.  

“Community legal centres play a vital role in providing expert community-based and holistic legal help to people experiencing discrimination and disadvantage across Australia. Our centres help hundreds of thousands of people every year” said Nassim Arrage, Chief Executive Officer of NACLC.

“We have been calling for additional core funding for the community legal sector over a long period.  Today’s announcement is a great step forward and shows the ALP is listening. Core funding means that people and communities can be sure they have a local service to go to when they need legal help”.  

“As the national peak body, we play an important role in supporting delivery of high-quality legal services to people across Australia as well as in national advocacy and engagement. We are facing financial crisis and this funding commitment is a game changer and would enable us to continue our vital work” he added.

“We continue to call on the Government to support the sector by committing additional core funding as well as increased support to NACLC so we can continue to support centres to help people experiencing discrimination and disadvantage across Australia”.

This funding builds on other commitments announced by the ALP in recent weeks including:

  • $120 million for financial services lawyers in community legal centres
  • $42.5 million for community legal centres doing family violence-related work (as well as some part of an additional $21 million for new specialist domestic violence units and health justice partnerships)
  • $14 million for Environmental Defenders Offices, and
  • $10 million per year for a new national community legal centre to assist farmers and small business.

 

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Nassim Arrage, CEO on 0408 092 256 or Nassim.arrage@naclc.org.au

Amanda Alford, Director Policy and Advocacy on 0421 028 645 or amanda.alford@naclc.org.au

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