Community Legal Centres Queensland (CLCQ) has welcomed $142 million in funding announced by the State Government on Tuesday.
The funding will unlock $827 million in Commonwealth funding under the five-year National Access to Justice Partnership from July 2025.
CLCQ Director Rosslyn Monro said the injection of funding came at a critical time and after a long campaign.
“Queensland Community Legal Centres are currently stretched to the limit and turn away more than 80,000 people each year because of limited resources and staffing shortages,” Rosslyn said.
“This funding uplift gives centres funding security for the next five years and means they are in more stable position to recruit and retain staff.”
Rosslyn said the state’s 32 Community Legal Centres played a vital role in ensuring all Queenslanders, regardless of income, could access justice.
“Community Legal Centres address critical legal challenges that impact people’s lives, such as domestic violence, housing insecurity, family law, debt, and elder abuse,” she said.
“They contribute significantly to a fairer, safer Queensland, especially for vulnerable communities.”
WLSQ CEO Nadia Bromley
Women’s Legal Service Queensland CEO Nadia Bromley said the funding meant that “thousands of workers who support the most vulnerable Queenslanders know that their work is valued, that they have job security for the next five years and more importantly, they can get back to focusing on what they do best”.
“In Australia, and certainly in this great state of Queensland, we believe that access to justice shouldn’t depend on your postcode or pay cheque and this agreement is a critical step to making sure we can make that reality for all Queenslanders,” Nadia said.
Gold Coast Community Legal Centre CEO Tanya Diessel said there was a significant demand for services on the Gold Coast.
“Community legal centre lawyers are on the frontline and navigating the hurdles facing people who are experiencing disadvantage and vulnerability,” Tanya said.
“This can take a toll on people’s mental wellbeing and this increased funding will ensure staff working in the sector are fairly compensated for the work they do.”
LawRight CEO Karen Dyhrberg said the cost-of-living crisis had hit clients but also centre staff.
“We have dedicated lawyers and support staff but it’s hard to stay in a sector that is paid less than Legal Aid and has constant funding uncertainty,” Karen said.
“LawRight has had to pause intake of new clients into our Court and Tribunal Services for months at a time while we tried to recruit, and we haven’t been able to assist every one of the homeless young people who sought our services, because we were overwhelmed with demand.
“This new injection of funding will give now give us a little breathing space, help us retain our valuable staff and mean will can help more vulnerable Queenslanders.”
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