Editorial: Vital service under threat
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FREE legal services in the Hume and Riverina regions may no longer be available if the NSW government withdraws funding next year.
The Hume Riverina Community Legal Service provides free face-to-face legal advice in Albury, Lavington, Corowa, Finley and Deniliquin.
If grants from the Public Purpose Fund are withdrawn, Corowa, Finley and Deniliquin will miss out.
Principal lawyer at Hume Riverina Community Legal Service Sarah Rodgers said the service was the only one of its kind in those areas.
“We basically received a letter in June saying we will get a 10 per cent funding cut and we will need to look for alternative funding by June 2015.
“It wouldn’t be possible to provide this service, even if they only make a small cut, we are already very stretched.
“There are not a lot of lawyers in these towns who take on legal aid work so if, for example, you have split from your partner and can’t afford a lawyer, you could be at risk of homelessness, safety concerns and concerns about how to keep your kids safe.”
As a part of the NSW Outreach Program, the Hume Riverina Community Legal Service sends lawyer Karen Bowley to each town once a month.
She also co-ordinates other services including financial counsellors, disability advocacy and legal aid to the Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service.
Chairperson at Community Legal Centres NSW Nassim Arrage said the centres were already underfunded.
“Whenever people give their solicitors money it goes to solicitors trust account and the public service is made up of the interest of all solicitors trust accounts in New South Wales,” Mr Arrage said.
“Because the interest rates have been so low, the public service fund hasn’t been accumulating as much money as it normally would.
“Across the board, funding for community legal centres this financial year was cut 7.5 per cent and we already know that next financial year we are going to be cut 17.5 per cent.”
Lawyers have met the NSW Attorney-General Brad Hazzard and are urging people to write to their local members saying how much they rely on the service and the impact it would have if the funding was cut or withdrawn.