As pointed out in my report last year we are still seeing more people without an increase in resources and this cannot continue.
Unfortunately when we do receive further funds such as our Youth Lawyer and Family Violence Duty Lawyer for Ararat and Stawell, the funding is short-term and restrictive. Recently I phoned a Community Legal Centre that had funding for a Mortgage Distress Service. I was told the solicitor had resigned as the funding expired at the end of the year. This is also the fate of our Youth Lawyer Service. Most legal centres are reducing their general services to specialise, which in my view is a denial of justice.
Although we provide a good general service about half of our work includes either family violence or family law. This is going to be made more difficult next year with the Federal Attorney-General slashing our funding by about $70,000.
This is at a time when a recent report by the Family Law Council found that more than half of disputed parenting matters before the family court, either one or both parents did not have legal representation.
Community education is an important arm of our service, but it cannot be a substitute for good representation at court. On a more positive note, our legal team with the support of our committee, administrators and volunteers has provided a wonderful service.