Tuesday, 18 June 2024

Ministers statements: community legal centres

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (14:00): I would like to update the house on the work our community legal centres are doing to deliver positive outcomes for Victorians, particularly women and children. Along with Ms Watt I had the pleasure of visiting Women’s Legal Service Victoria to learn more about the critical work they do as a specialised community legal centre – a fantastic organisation absolutely dedicated to supporting disadvantaged women to address their legal and other needs. They provide wraparound services where clients are not only assisted by lawyers but also supported by social workers and financial counsellors. It is this kind of practical support that really improves the outcomes for women, and particularly those who are experiencing family violence.

Recently I also visited the Ballarat and Grampians community legal centre to meet their team and thank them for the important work they do. Many members in the chamber would be familiar with their work because they cover 12 local government areas across the Central Highlands and Wimmera region, encompassing a population of 250,000 people. Like many CLCs, their work is extensively with women and families, providing legal information as well as legal representation and assistance. Conveniently located right down the street from the Ballarat Specialist Family Violence Court, this CLC delivers important services, and it continues to play a key role in supporting family violence victim-survivors.

We do know that Ballarat has been deeply affected by violence against women. Samantha Murphy, Rebecca Young and Hannah McGuire, all from Ballarat, are just three of the women who have lost their lives at the hands of men’s violence this year. It is why we announced that Ballarat will be the location of our saturation model pilot bringing together new and expanded programs, policies and services with one focus: to drive down the rates of family violence and men’s violence against women. Our CLCs understand that access to the law is crucial in our response to combating violence against women, and I thank all of those organisations for their commitment to individuals who need their help.