Women’s legal services cautiously welcome Budget funding

Women’s legal aid workers have ‘cautiously’ welcomed extra funding to help domestic and family violence victims but fear the cash will be caught up in the sluggish budget pipeline.

Women’s legal aid workers have “cautiously” welcomed extra funding to help domestic and family violence victims, but fear the cash will be caught up in the sluggish budget pipeline.

The 2021 Budget included an extra $129m over four years for increased legal assistance to help women access justice, with the money to flow to states who then decide how to give it to legal centres.

Helen Campbell has welcomed the extra funding for legal services to help domestic violence victims. Picture: Richard Dobson

NSW Women’s Legal Service head Helen Campbell said she was concerned at the time this process would take, given previous emergency COVID-19 funding had taken almost 12 months to arrive.

“I was quite pleased with the funding … though I expect it will take a while to actually make its way through to us based on past experience,” she said.

Ms Campbell said overall the cash for domestic violence services in the budget was “not terribly creative”.

“I think it’s modest, but welcome, mostly topping up money into existing programs, but I think that’s okay because we’re about to start working on the next national domestic violence action plan,” she said.

Legal workers at the NSW Women’s Legal Centre hope the extra Budget funding will flow quickly. Picture: Richard Dobson

A spokesman for Attorney-General Michaelia Cash said under the total legal assistance partnership, the federal government gave states and territories $2.3bn, including the funds for women’s centres.

“To deliver the additional legal assistance funding provided in the 2021-22 Budget, the Commonwealth will work with the states and territories to amend the (existing partnership) to include those funding streams,” he said.

NSW Attorney-General and Domestic Violence Prevention Minister Mark Speakman said the government welcomed the spend on legal services, which are “essential to keeping women safe”.

“As always, NSW will work closely with frontline services, and those who represent them, to ensure the funds are delivered to those most in need,” he said.

“We appreciate the importance of delivering this additional investment as quickly as possible and will work to ensure that happens.”