- Published:
- Friday 4 August 2017
The Andrews Labor Government is supporting community legal centres to deliver vital assistance to vulnerable and disadvantaged Victorians, with a new grants round opening today.
Victoria’s 50 community legal centres are encouraged to apply for a share of $7.1 million over two years from the Labor Government’s Community Legal Centre Assistance Fund, the Family Violence Duty Lawyer Fund, and the Community Legal Centre Family Violence Fund.
Each community legal centre will be able to apply for three grant funds - each worth up to $50,000 per year. The funds include:
- more than $2 million from the Community Legal Centre Assistance Fund, which supports critical programs and free legal services for Victorians who can’t afford a lawyer
- more than $2.4 million from the Family Violence Duty Lawyer Fund, which helps community legal centres provide specialist family violence duty lawyers in the Magistrates’ Court
- more than $2.6 million from the Community Legal Centre Family Violence Fund, which helps agencies provide support to family violence victims and faster access to legal services.
The latest funding is in addition to $5.7 million already invested in community legal centre grants by the Labor Government since 2014.
The grants help to support more than 100,000 Victorians each year on a range of legal matters, including family violence proceedings, family law, disputes and fines.
The Victorian Budget 2017/18 provided almost $25 million in new funding over four years to help community legal centres continue to provide a range of free legal services.
Applications close at midnight on Monday, 28 August. For more information, visit clcgrants.smartygrants.com.au.
Quotes attributable to Attorney-General Martin Pakula
“Community legal centres play a vital role in helping disadvantaged Victorians get legal advice, support and representation in times of hardship.”
“These grants will help ensure community legal centres can continue to deliver crucial assistance to people in need, including family violence victims.”
“I encourage all community legal centres to apply for a grant and look forward to announcing the recipients later this year.”