By ANEEKA SIMONIS
HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars are due to be pulled from a free legal service group, hitting its new office in Healesville the hardest.
Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC), which runs several offices in the outer east is set to lose $400,000 in Commonwealth funding under budget cuts mid next year.
A cost-saving decision announced in May, ECLC’s CEO Michael Smith says the decision will impact people who have little access to or cannot afford legal help in the Yarra Ranges.
“The Commonwealth Government has said these funding cuts won’t affect frontline services but this certainly won’t be true in our communities. The reality is that for our clients, more people will miss out on legal help,” he said.
ECLC’s Healesville office opened around six months ago with the support of the federal grant. Mr Smith said the loss of funding would mean the new service would struggle to expand and help more people in the Yarra Ranges area.
“It’s going to hit the development of service pretty hard … we need to work on how to keep the office open,” he said.
If the office is unable to expand, Smith fears victims of family violence or similar crimes may not travel down the line to seek out legal aid.
“ECLC has been focused on expanding legal help to those most in need – the people of the Yarra Ranges, women and children experiencing family violence and vulnerable communities who find it hard to understand and access the law.
“Some might travel (into other offices in the eastern suburbs) but some might stay in a situation they are in. Problems then tend to get worse. Early intervention is best,” he said.
The not-for-profit group which relies on state funding to operate has appealed the decision, writing to Attorney-General Department and local MPs as well as applying for other funding grants.
Mr Smith said by deserting the four-year funding agreement two years early, the government would create further strain on the justice system and parties involved.
“These decisions are short-sighted as the legal problems ECLC helps with most often can’t wait and delays just make the problems more difficult, stressful and expensive.
“We know that unresolved legal problems can escalate, leading to added strain on the justice system and on government services, and further legal, financial, social, and health problems for the individual.
“It just saves money all round to provide early access to legal help for people who can’t afford a lawyer,” he said.
Federal Member for Casey Tony Smith MP said the government inherited a “massive budget deficit” when it came to power last September which meant “increased spending could not be maintained.”
He said the government had provided more than $200 million in legal aid contributions this year and was considering new funding agreements for next year.
“The government is currently considering future funding arrangements for legal assistance from 1 July 2015.”
