Crisafulli Government unlocks funding for Queensland's frontline legal services
- The Crisafulli Government announced an additional $142 million funding for community legal services, which will unlock Commonwealth funding.
- The commitment has secured almost $1 billion in Commonwealth funding for Queensland's community legal sector after Labor left behind a funding crisis.
- The Partnership hinged on the Queensland Government boosting funding to the sector, which Labor failed to include in the budget.
- Without the funding, dozens of community services including community legal centres, legal aid services, and those supporting DFV victims would have been forced to close their doors.
The Crisafulli Government has delivered certainty and stability to Queensland's community legal services sector, after the former government failed to budget for critical funds to unlock federal funding support.
The government has today announced a dedicated funding uplift of $142 million to the legal assistance sector, bringing total state funding to $1 billion over five years.
Labor left behind a crisis putting frontline community legal services at risk, directly impacting community legal centres, legal aid services and domestic and family violence legal services.
The additional funding will unlock $827 million in Commonwealth funding under the National Access to Justice Partnership from July 2025, a requirement under the national agreement.
Queensland's Attorney-General has fought to secure almost $1 billion in funding for the State's community legal sector after Labor left behind a crisis that put frontline services at risk.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Integrity, Deb Frecklington, said the Government's commitment would secure frontline community legal services.
"Labor signed Queensland up to the National Access to Justice Partnership knowing full well they were not in a position to ratify that agreement," Ms Frecklington said.
"Steven Miles and his budget blackhole put Queensland's community legal services and programs at risk of losing almost a billion dollars in funding over the next five years.
"I'm proud to have fought for this funding at the recent Standing Council of Attorneys-General meeting and I'm proud the Crisafulli Government stepped up so quickly to fix the mess left behind by Labor.
"This will give certainty to the community legal sector at a time when their services are needed more than ever," she said.
Both sets of funding will go towards legal aid services, community legal centres, women's legal services, elder abuse and health justice initiatives, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services and supplementary legal assistance services.
A core component of the NAJP will allow community legal assistance providers to reduce pay disparity with legal aid commissions, helping frontline services recruit and retain staff.
Importantly, for the first time, Family Violence Prevention and Legal Services (FVPLS) will be funded through the NAJP. These services play a critical role in assisting First Nations women and children impacted by domestic and family violence and sexual violence.
