In a cost-of-living and housing crisis, more people than ever in WA need legal help and can’t afford a lawyer. Community legal services are struggling to meet demand and need more funding so we can be there for WA families. In this State Election, we are calling for a commitment to increased, secure, indexed funding for community legal centres and family violence prevention legal services. We need to #fundmorecommunitylaw.
We need investment across six key areas:
1. Core funding increase to community legal services
- An additional $16 million per annum over 5 years, indexed
The difference it will make:
An extra $16 million across WA means centres can help more people, and gives services flexibility and capacity to respond to the changing needs of their community over time, through:
- More legal help for people who really need it, including the capacity to give thousands more people ongoing support and intensive legal services
- Increased wrap around support for people with complex problems
- More prevention and early intervention activities like community legal education
- More outreach to remote communities
- More advocacy for better, fairer laws and policies
2. Support to address the workforce crisis facing centres
- An additional $1.6 million per annum, over 5 years, indexed
The difference it will make:
Low pay, limited career pathways and the risks of vicarious trauma and burnout are driving a workforce crisis. Wages are the greatest challenge for WA centres in finding and keeping staff. An additional $1.6 million will bring community legal staff closer to pay parity with Legal Aid and help centres find and keep skilled staff, preventing service gaps and getting more people the legal help they need.
3. Loading to address workforce challenges in rural, regional and remote areas
- An additional $1 million per annum over 5 years, indexed
The difference it will make:
Too many people living in rural, regional and remote areas are unable to access legal help. In RRR areas, positions stay unfilled for longer, services cost more, rates of disadvantage and legal need are higher and people’s needs more complex. An extra $1 million will help centres find and keep qualified staff, so families across WA can get access to justice.
4. Better support for renters
- An additional $4 million per annum over 5 years, indexed, for Tenancy Advice and Education Services (TAES)
The difference it will make:
Tenant advocacy supports our basic human right to housing and is a key strategy for preventing homelessness. TAES funds free, independent support for renters, helping them understand and access their rights, and meet their responsibilities. An extra $4 million would mean fewer people in court unnecessarily, and fewer families living in fear, or even living in their cars as they didn’t know their rights, or where to go for help before it was too late.
5. Long term state funding for Aboriginal family safety services
- A commitment from the incoming state government to work with WA’s three Family Violence Prevention Legal Services (FVPLS) to agree a long term sustainable and indexed funding model
The difference it will make:
FVPLS are Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations providing culturally secure family safety services across WA. Sustainable, indexed, long term funding will mean more First Nations people across WA can access culturally safe and trauma informed legal and social services provided by their own communities, bringing us closer to meeting closing the gap targets.
6. Core funding increase to the community legal services peak
- Between $900,000-$1.265 million per annum over 5 years, indexed
The difference it will make:
A sustainable, fully-funded peak body is essential to help the community legal sector flourish. This additional investment would increase access to justice in WA by improving the peak body’s capacity to deliver sector development and capacity building, drive better laws and policies, and ensure services are responsive to the people who need them.