With domestic and family violence continuing to rise across the Sunshine Coast, more than 200 legal professionals gathered on Thursday night to raise more than $50,000 for frontline services.
The annual Suncoast Community Legal Service (SCLS) Wine Dinner, now in its sixth year, was hosted by Travis Schultz & Partners and held on 12 March. The event is a major fundraiser for SCLS, which provides free legal assistance to vulnerable community members.
A panel featuring Attorney-General Deb Frecklington, Minister for Police and Emergency Services Dan Purdie and SCLS CEO Marla Edwards delivered a frank discussion on the growing demand for domestic violence support and the critical role of community legal centres.
SCLS recorded 2687 legal advices last year across more than 100 types of legal matters, including domestic and family violence cases.
Queensland data shows domestic violence orders (DVO) are increasingly being breached. In 2023-2024, there were 40,471 DVO contraventions statewide. That figure rose 2.6 per cent to 41,523 in 2024-25, with 1410 cases lodged at Maroochydore Magistrates Court.
Strangulation offences also increased from 1186 cases statewide in 2023-24 to 1337 in 2024-25, almost a 13 per cent jump. Sixty-three of those were recorded at the Maroochydore Court.
In 2025, SCLS delivered 6858 service actions, with more than one quarter related to domestic and family violence.
Managing Partner and event chair Travis Schultz OAM highlighted the importance of these events in supporting SCLS.
“Behind every statistic is a person – often someone with nowhere else to turn,” Mr Schultz said.
“The need for legal support continues to climb, especially with the ongoing rise in domestic and family violence on the coast.
“SCLS is an organisation that people turn to when in need. Their mission is to address disadvantage by providing legal advice and education to the Sunshine Coast community, delivered through a dedicated team and an extraordinary network of volunteer lawyers. The funds raised tonight go towards keeping the SCLS mission alive.”
SCLS CEO Marla Edwards reinforced the importance of early intervention and community backing.
“Our mission is to provide access to justice. The work of Suncoast Community Legal Service simply wouldn’t be possible without the extraordinary generosity of the legal profession here on the Sunshine Coast,” she said.
“For more than four decades, volunteer lawyers have given their time and expertise to the service, contributing thousands of hours of pro-bono support and standing beside people in our community during some of their most difficult moments.
“We are also grateful to the sponsors, donors and community members who contribute through events like this one. Because of that support, our team can help people through a wide range of legal challenges, but domestic and family violence remains one of the most complex and confronting issues we see.
“Early legal advice can make a real difference, helping people understand their rights and take protective steps before situations escalate. It was a privilege to join leaders from across the justice sector on the panel to discuss this, and to highlight the important role community legal services play in supporting people experiencing domestic and family violence.
“Addressing this issue requires a collective effort, and we are deeply grateful to the legal community who continue to step forward to help.”
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