South-East Monash Legal Service
Meng Heang TAK (Clarinda) (16:54): I was delighted to visit the South-East Monash Legal Service last week to catch up with the SMLS executive director Kristen Wallwork and director of advocacy and development Ashleigh Newnham. Community legal services do an incredible job making sure Victorians can have access to the legal supports that they need, and the SMLS is a wonderful example of this, delivering vital services and representation, particularly in family law and domestic violence. Thank you to everyone at the SMLS for the important work that you do. We are supporting that work with $28.8 million for community legal centres and specialist legal services, including the South-East Monash Legal Service. Funding will support these services and the Sporting Change program, with over $220,000 a year for the next four years. This fantastic program partners with schools in Melbourne’s south-east to teach young people about the justice system, supporting access to justice with a school lawyer integrated into a school wellbeing team, and it is having a real impact on issues in schools and communities, such as cyberbullying and consent.