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State Budget Priorities 2027-28: Delivering Access to Justice

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Download CLWA State Budget Priorities 2027-2028 (.PDF 182.77 KB)

Everyone deserves access to justice.

Whether it’s keeping a roof over your head, dealing with an unfair workplace or staying safe from family violence, getting legal help early can make all the difference.

Community legal centres and Family Violence Prevention Legal Services provide free, essential legal and social support to people across WA. They help people understand their rights, resolve problems before they escalate and move forward with their lives.

But across Western Australia too many people are unable to get legal help when they need it and justice is out of reach.

Three infographics. The first has two female icons in different colours and the words 1 in 2. Underneath is text saying almost 1 in 2 women seeking help from a community legal service were experiencing or at risk of family and domestic violence. The second inforgraphic has a hand with a line through it and the number 16,000 next to that. underneath is says people were turned away an estimated 16,000 times because services do not have enough funding to keep up with demand. The third infographic has 4 female icons and one is a different colour. Next to them is the text 1 in 4. underneath the text says 1 in 4 people who received an appointment with a community legal service needed further help that the service did not have the resources to provide

Our State Budget Priorities 2027–2028 set out the investment and practical reforms needed to strengthen community legal services and improve access to justice across WA.

We are calling on the State Government to take action in seven key areas:

  1. Legal help for people in need: Increase funding for community legal services so more people can access legal help, including face-to-face services and outreach in regional, rural and remote WA.
  2. Building a strong community legal workforce: Deliver fairer pay and conditions so services can attract and retain the skilled staff people rely on.
  3. Delivering sustainable services: Provide longer-term contracts and modernise indexation so services can plan ahead and maintain essential legal help.
  4. Supporting renters: Strengthen tenancy advice and support to help renters exercise their rights, resolve problems early and stay safely housed.
  5. Culturally safe justice, stronger futures: Work in partnership with WA’s three Family Violence Prevention Legal Services to strengthen services, close access gaps and address workforce pressures such as regional staff housing.
  6. Strong peak. Strong sector: Invest in Community Legal WA and the Community Legal Workforce Project to strengthen the capability and sustainability of community legal services and build a justice system that responds to the needs and experiences of the community.
  7. Change the system. Change the outcome: Reform driver’s licensing laws and introduce a WA Human Rights Act to remove barriers to justice and make systems fairer.

With the right investment and practical reforms, the State Government can make access to justice a reality for more Western Australians.

To read our State Budget Priorities 2027–2028 and learn more about the changes we’re calling for, you can download the publication