Tuesday, 13 August 2024

Ministers statements: Eastern Community Legal Centre

Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (12:39): I rise today to update the house about the great work being done by the Eastern Community Legal Centre to support victims of crime in Melbourne’s east. Recently I had the pleasure of joining my colleague in the other place the hardworking member for Box Hill Paul Hamer to meet with the team at Eastern Community Legal Centre to see the Allan Labor government’s investment in victims legal services firsthand. The Eastern Community Legal Centre has been serving the community since 1974 and offers a comprehensive range of universal and targeted legal services and specialises in supporting victim-survivors experiencing family violence. The centre is one of the providers of the victims legal service, Victoria’s first dedicated statewide service for victims of crime.

Established last year and backed by $7.3 million in investment from the Allan Labor government, the victims legal service provides free legal advice and assistance to victims of crime in Victoria. The service is designed specifically to meet the needs of victims of crime in a trauma-informed, accessible, inclusive and culturally safe way. Importantly, the victims legal service will support victims of crime to access the new financial assistance scheme, which will open later this year. It is a landmark reform by this government that will dramatically improve the way people receive the support they need to recover. As well as the victims legal service, the ECLC delivers specialised family violence programs, including the MABELS initiative and SAGE program. These provide essential support to some of the most vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women and those at risk of elder abuse.

The Eastern Community Legal Centre’s focus on evidence-based practice, integrated service delivery and strong partnerships aligns with our government’s commitment to ensuring that all Victorians have access to the support they need, especially in times of crisis. I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all those working in the community legal sector, in particular the Eastern Community Legal Centre. Their efforts are integral to making Victoria safer and a more just place for all.