❓ Mr Trenorden questions the Attorney General about the closure of the Rural Community Legal Service in Northam due to lack of funding, highlighting its importance to the central wheatbelt. The Attorney General explains the funding decision process and alternative services available.
AnsweredQoN 438Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I draw the minister’s attention to the Community Law Centre Funding Centre’s decision not to provide funding from the new state community legal centre program moneys to the Rural Community Legal Service based in Northam. As the minister knows from discussions we have had in the past, this is a critical area for the wheatbelt. (1) Is the minister aware that the Rural Community Legal Service has been the only public legal service available in the central wheatbelt and that it closed its doors yesterday because the Attorney General has refused to fund it? (2) Given, as the Attorney General is aware, that the service saw an average of 363 clients a year, and had been operating for a number of years, what alternative service has the Attorney General implemented in its place to operate on the three days a week the service operated? (3) Will the Attorney General provide the $115 000 a year required to keep open this invaluable service to the people of the central wheatbelt? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) I thank the member for some advance warning of this question. Funding for the Rural Community Legal Service has traditionally come from the Law Society’s public purposes trust. Total funding of $42 000 was provided for 2003-04 for the Rural Community Legal Service based in Northam. Unfortunately, the Rural Community Legal Service did not make an application for new funding for this year. If it did, it made it too late and that is unfortunate. Mr M.W. Trenorden: I am amazed to hear that it did not make an application. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am referring to an application for public purposes trust funding. I have received information that an application was not submitted on time for that funding. That is why no funding was available for this coming year. There was a possible life raft in the State Government’s decision to allocate, I think, $1.116 million to a specific state community legal centre funding program. The Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding under this new funding arrangement but, unfortunately, its application was not successful. The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
(1) Is the minister aware that the Rural Community Legal Service has been the only public legal service available in the central wheatbelt and that it closed its doors yesterday because the Attorney General has refused to fund it? (2) Given, as the Attorney General is aware, that the service saw an average of 363 clients a year, and had been operating for a number of years, what alternative service has the Attorney General implemented in its place to operate on the three days a week the service operated? (3) Will the Attorney General provide the $115 000 a year required to keep open this invaluable service to the people of the central wheatbelt? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some advance warning of this question. Funding for the Rural Community Legal Service has traditionally come from the Law Society’s public purposes trust. Total funding of $42 000 was provided for 2003-04 for the Rural Community Legal Service based in Northam. Unfortunately, the Rural Community Legal Service did not make an application for new funding for this year. If it did, it made it too late and that is unfortunate. Mr M.W. Trenorden: I am amazed to hear that it did not make an application. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am referring to an application for public purposes trust funding. I have received information that an application was not submitted on time for that funding. That is why no funding was available for this coming year. There was a possible life raft in the State Government’s decision to allocate, I think, $1.116 million to a specific state community legal centre funding program. The Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding under this new funding arrangement but, unfortunately, its application was not successful. The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
(2) Given, as the Attorney General is aware, that the service saw an average of 363 clients a year, and had been operating for a number of years, what alternative service has the Attorney General implemented in its place to operate on the three days a week the service operated? (3) Will the Attorney General provide the $115 000 a year required to keep open this invaluable service to the people of the central wheatbelt? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some advance warning of this question. Funding for the Rural Community Legal Service has traditionally come from the Law Society’s public purposes trust. Total funding of $42 000 was provided for 2003-04 for the Rural Community Legal Service based in Northam. Unfortunately, the Rural Community Legal Service did not make an application for new funding for this year. If it did, it made it too late and that is unfortunate. Mr M.W. Trenorden: I am amazed to hear that it did not make an application. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am referring to an application for public purposes trust funding. I have received information that an application was not submitted on time for that funding. That is why no funding was available for this coming year. There was a possible life raft in the State Government’s decision to allocate, I think, $1.116 million to a specific state community legal centre funding program. The Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding under this new funding arrangement but, unfortunately, its application was not successful. The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
(3) Will the Attorney General provide the $115 000 a year required to keep open this invaluable service to the people of the central wheatbelt? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some advance warning of this question. Funding for the Rural Community Legal Service has traditionally come from the Law Society’s public purposes trust. Total funding of $42 000 was provided for 2003-04 for the Rural Community Legal Service based in Northam. Unfortunately, the Rural Community Legal Service did not make an application for new funding for this year. If it did, it made it too late and that is unfortunate. Mr M.W. Trenorden: I am amazed to hear that it did not make an application. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am referring to an application for public purposes trust funding. I have received information that an application was not submitted on time for that funding. That is why no funding was available for this coming year. There was a possible life raft in the State Government’s decision to allocate, I think, $1.116 million to a specific state community legal centre funding program. The Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding under this new funding arrangement but, unfortunately, its application was not successful. The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some advance warning of this question. Funding for the Rural Community Legal Service has traditionally come from the Law Society’s public purposes trust. Total funding of $42 000 was provided for 2003-04 for the Rural Community Legal Service based in Northam. Unfortunately, the Rural Community Legal Service did not make an application for new funding for this year. If it did, it made it too late and that is unfortunate. Mr M.W. Trenorden: I am amazed to hear that it did not make an application. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am referring to an application for public purposes trust funding. I have received information that an application was not submitted on time for that funding. That is why no funding was available for this coming year. There was a possible life raft in the State Government’s decision to allocate, I think, $1.116 million to a specific state community legal centre funding program. The Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding under this new funding arrangement but, unfortunately, its application was not successful. The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
(1)-(3) I thank the member for some advance warning of this question. Funding for the Rural Community Legal Service has traditionally come from the Law Society’s public purposes trust. Total funding of $42 000 was provided for 2003-04 for the Rural Community Legal Service based in Northam. Unfortunately, the Rural Community Legal Service did not make an application for new funding for this year. If it did, it made it too late and that is unfortunate. Mr M.W. Trenorden: I am amazed to hear that it did not make an application. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am referring to an application for public purposes trust funding. I have received information that an application was not submitted on time for that funding. That is why no funding was available for this coming year. There was a possible life raft in the State Government’s decision to allocate, I think, $1.116 million to a specific state community legal centre funding program. The Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding under this new funding arrangement but, unfortunately, its application was not successful. The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: I am amazed to hear that it did not make an application. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am referring to an application for public purposes trust funding. I have received information that an application was not submitted on time for that funding. That is why no funding was available for this coming year. There was a possible life raft in the State Government’s decision to allocate, I think, $1.116 million to a specific state community legal centre funding program. The Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding under this new funding arrangement but, unfortunately, its application was not successful. The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am referring to an application for public purposes trust funding. I have received information that an application was not submitted on time for that funding. That is why no funding was available for this coming year. There was a possible life raft in the State Government’s decision to allocate, I think, $1.116 million to a specific state community legal centre funding program. The Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding under this new funding arrangement but, unfortunately, its application was not successful. The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
[See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
(1) Is the minister aware that the Rural Community Legal Service has been the only public legal service available in the central wheatbelt and that it closed its doors yesterday because the Attorney General has refused to fund it? (2) Given, as the Attorney General is aware, that the service saw an average of 363 clients a year, and had been operating for a number of years, what alternative service has the Attorney General implemented in its place to operate on the three days a week the service operated? (3) Will the Attorney General provide the $115 000 a year required to keep open this invaluable service to the people of the central wheatbelt? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some advance warning of this question. Funding for the Rural Community Legal Service has traditionally come from the Law Society’s public purposes trust. Total funding of $42 000 was provided for 2003-04 for the Rural Community Legal Service based in Northam. Unfortunately, the Rural Community Legal Service did not make an application for new funding for this year. If it did, it made it too late and that is unfortunate. Mr M.W. Trenorden: I am amazed to hear that it did not make an application. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am referring to an application for public purposes trust funding. I have received information that an application was not submitted on time for that funding. That is why no funding was available for this coming year. There was a possible life raft in the State Government’s decision to allocate, I think, $1.116 million to a specific state community legal centre funding program. The Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding under this new funding arrangement but, unfortunately, its application was not successful. The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
(2) Given, as the Attorney General is aware, that the service saw an average of 363 clients a year, and had been operating for a number of years, what alternative service has the Attorney General implemented in its place to operate on the three days a week the service operated? (3) Will the Attorney General provide the $115 000 a year required to keep open this invaluable service to the people of the central wheatbelt? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some advance warning of this question. Funding for the Rural Community Legal Service has traditionally come from the Law Society’s public purposes trust. Total funding of $42 000 was provided for 2003-04 for the Rural Community Legal Service based in Northam. Unfortunately, the Rural Community Legal Service did not make an application for new funding for this year. If it did, it made it too late and that is unfortunate. Mr M.W. Trenorden: I am amazed to hear that it did not make an application. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am referring to an application for public purposes trust funding. I have received information that an application was not submitted on time for that funding. That is why no funding was available for this coming year. There was a possible life raft in the State Government’s decision to allocate, I think, $1.116 million to a specific state community legal centre funding program. The Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding under this new funding arrangement but, unfortunately, its application was not successful. The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
(3) Will the Attorney General provide the $115 000 a year required to keep open this invaluable service to the people of the central wheatbelt? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some advance warning of this question. Funding for the Rural Community Legal Service has traditionally come from the Law Society’s public purposes trust. Total funding of $42 000 was provided for 2003-04 for the Rural Community Legal Service based in Northam. Unfortunately, the Rural Community Legal Service did not make an application for new funding for this year. If it did, it made it too late and that is unfortunate. Mr M.W. Trenorden: I am amazed to hear that it did not make an application. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am referring to an application for public purposes trust funding. I have received information that an application was not submitted on time for that funding. That is why no funding was available for this coming year. There was a possible life raft in the State Government’s decision to allocate, I think, $1.116 million to a specific state community legal centre funding program. The Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding under this new funding arrangement but, unfortunately, its application was not successful. The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some advance warning of this question. Funding for the Rural Community Legal Service has traditionally come from the Law Society’s public purposes trust. Total funding of $42 000 was provided for 2003-04 for the Rural Community Legal Service based in Northam. Unfortunately, the Rural Community Legal Service did not make an application for new funding for this year. If it did, it made it too late and that is unfortunate. Mr M.W. Trenorden: I am amazed to hear that it did not make an application. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am referring to an application for public purposes trust funding. I have received information that an application was not submitted on time for that funding. That is why no funding was available for this coming year. There was a possible life raft in the State Government’s decision to allocate, I think, $1.116 million to a specific state community legal centre funding program. The Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding under this new funding arrangement but, unfortunately, its application was not successful. The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
(1)-(3) I thank the member for some advance warning of this question. Funding for the Rural Community Legal Service has traditionally come from the Law Society’s public purposes trust. Total funding of $42 000 was provided for 2003-04 for the Rural Community Legal Service based in Northam. Unfortunately, the Rural Community Legal Service did not make an application for new funding for this year. If it did, it made it too late and that is unfortunate. Mr M.W. Trenorden: I am amazed to hear that it did not make an application. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am referring to an application for public purposes trust funding. I have received information that an application was not submitted on time for that funding. That is why no funding was available for this coming year. There was a possible life raft in the State Government’s decision to allocate, I think, $1.116 million to a specific state community legal centre funding program. The Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding under this new funding arrangement but, unfortunately, its application was not successful. The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: I am amazed to hear that it did not make an application. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am referring to an application for public purposes trust funding. I have received information that an application was not submitted on time for that funding. That is why no funding was available for this coming year. There was a possible life raft in the State Government’s decision to allocate, I think, $1.116 million to a specific state community legal centre funding program. The Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding under this new funding arrangement but, unfortunately, its application was not successful. The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I am referring to an application for public purposes trust funding. I have received information that an application was not submitted on time for that funding. That is why no funding was available for this coming year. There was a possible life raft in the State Government’s decision to allocate, I think, $1.116 million to a specific state community legal centre funding program. The Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding under this new funding arrangement but, unfortunately, its application was not successful. The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
The decision not to fund the Rural Community Legal Service was based on a number of factors. There were 47 submissions for funding seeking amounts totalling more than $6 million, with available funding of $1.116 million. The category in which the Rural Community Legal Service applied for funding included high quality submissions from organisations in regions that had been identified in the joint commonwealth-state review of community legal services; namely, the west Kimberley, Peel, the wheatbelt and the Gascoyne. Given the available level of funding, these priorities, the level of need and the quality of submissions, the assessment panel determined that submissions received from the Peel and Gascoyne, as well as the Statewide Environmental Legal Service, were superior service delivery models, offered a better level of service and were generally better value for money. Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: Not in the wheatbelt. Peel already has other services. Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: The view was that those organisations should be funded. For the information of members, I table the allocation of state community legal centre funding program moneys totalling $1.2 million. [See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
[See paper No 2550.] Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I previously met with the people from the Rural Community Legal Centre. Mr Kevin Hogg was the solicitor attached to that centre, and there is one support staff member. This will mean a reduction in services available to people in the wheatbelt area. Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: It will not be a reduction; there will be no service. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
Mr J.A. McGINTY: There is currently a weekly duty lawyer service in Northam provided through Legal Aid Western Australia, mainly working in criminal law; there is a duty lawyer service in Merredin twice a month for every court session; there is ongoing telephone advice; and a legal advice bureau is available three times a month in Northam to provide general legal advice in family, civil and criminal law, including minor assistance for self-represented litigants and the granting of legal aid for case files. It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
It is unfortunate that the submission by the Rural Community Legal Centre did not rate a higher priority and therefore was not funded when compared with those organisations that were funded. There is a significant emphasis in those organisations that have been funded in the regional areas, and there is also a very heavy emphasis on matters to do with domestic violence, which complement the legislation that passed through this House earlier today, whereby we are seeking to significantly increase the resources available to provide support for that legislation.
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