Funding announced at National Cabinet for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services across Australia doesn’t go far enough, the Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service claims.
“Here in Tasmania, this announcement means that Aboriginal people in Tasmania will continue to not have fair and equitable access to legal assistance and justice,” TALS CEO Jake Smith said.
“Without adequate funding from either the federal or state governments, Aboriginal people in Tasmania will continue to be disadvantaged and will continue to be over-represented in our youth detention facility and adult prisons.”
“This is not just a federal government issue, the Tasmanian government also needs to take action and invest more in supporting the legal assistance needs of Aboriginal people in Tasmania.”
Smith said the National Cabinet announcement also highlighted increased investment by the Federal Government to support frontline specialist and legal services to address gender-based violence.
“We welcome this announcement for July next year and recognise more details are to come. While this funding is an increase, the sectors needs even greater investment and it does not support the immediate needs we are facing.”
“We call on the Tasmanian Government to support the sector now. Aboriginal people in Tasmania can’t wait for next year – we need to support our community now”
Background
On Friday National Cabinet signed a Heads of Agreement for a new National Access to Justice Partnership that will provide an increase of nearly $800 million in funding over five years from 2025-26 to the legal assistance sector, with a focus on uplifting legal services responding to gender-based violence.
The Commonwealth Government will invest a total of $3.9 billion in support for frontline legal assistance services to be delivered through a new partnership agreement with the states and territories.
The former Coalition Government did not provide ongoing funding for this agreement, leaving a funding end date of 30 June 2025.
The funding announced is part of a $4.7 billion package to respond to the ‘national crisis’ of family, domestic and sexual violence and support legal assistance.
The National Access to Justice Partnership will commence on expiry of the current National Legal Assistance Partnership (NLAP) on 30 June 2025.
The funding provides support to all parts of the legal assistance sector, including Legal Aid Commissions, Community Legal Centres, Women’s Legal Services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services and Family Violence Prevention Legal Services.
It will also allow for salaries in community sector legal assistance providers to better align with the rest of the sector, ensuring these services can recruit and retain staff.
The full National Access to Justice Partnership will be agreed through the Standing Council of Attorneys-General by the end of the year.
